HONGER NA GEREGTIGHEID Februarie 2021

HONGER NA GEREGTIGHEID Inhoudsopgawe Voorwoord 1. Van Briewe tot 'n Boek 2 ' n Opstandige Jongman 3. Op Weg Na 'n Opvoeding vir Afrika 4. 'n Gemengde Huwelik? 5. Liewe Mnr Vorster 6. Hereniging Langs 'n Omweg 7. Meer Visumaansoeke. 8. Selfregverdigende Verskonings 9. Die Vriende van die 'Rooiboek' 10. Transkei, 'n 'Tuisland' word Onafhankelik, 11. Van 0nderdrukte tot 0nderdrukker 12. Deurmekaar met die Politiek en die Politici 13. Solidariteit met gevangenes 14. Pro Justitia 15. Solidariteit Met Gevangenes Aanhangsel Voorwoord (ongeveer 1979) Swart wolke hang oor Suider-Afrika. Dit lyk asof 'n oplossing vir die Rhodesiese vraagstuk verder as ooit is. Die kanse op langdurige vrede in Namibie (Suidwes-Afrika) is skraal. In Suid-Afrika self is onheilspellende ontwikkelinge aan die gang. Die Nationale Front, wat saam met die Herstigte Nasionale Party blanke voorregte ten alle koste wil behou, wil hom as politieke party formeer. Begaafde jong swart studente vlug in wanhoop die land uit omdat hulle alleen daarin hoop sien om hul lewens op die spel te plaas sodat vryheid vir latere geslagte verseker kan word. Daartussen is daar die hele spektrum; van mense wat hul heil in die beplande nuwe grondwet sien tot ander wie se vertroue in die regering vanwee die onthullings van die Departement van Inligting totaal geskok is en nou verlamd die ergste verwag. In verskillende stadia van my lewe het ek verskillende emosies geken t.o.v. die staat, van felle rebellie enersyds en andersyds een van passiewe berusting, om Gods water maar oor Gods akker te laat loop. Tussen die twee uiterstes was daar 'n hele skala. Ek voel myself nog steeds in groeiproses verwikkeld, waaraan ek die lesers wil laat deelneem. Ek hoop dat baie aangemoedig sal word om binne die eie kring te soek na oplossings wat die toets van die tyd sal kan weerstaan. 'n Tweede Voorwoord (Februarie 2021) Swart wolke hang weer oor Suid-Afrika as gevolg van die tweede golf van die Covid-19 pandemie wat die ekonomie 'n groot slag toegedien het. Daar was natuurlik in die jare tussen 1979 en 2021 'n hele paar voorbeelde van 'donker wolke' oor die land. Ek was bevoorreg om van naderby te ervaar hoe gebedsaksies die gety gekeer het voor ons terugkeer uit die buiteland as gesin in Januarie 1992 maar veral sedertdien. Dit is nou opgeteken en in die proses van publikasie as 'n drieluik Revival Seeds Germinate, waarvan 'n tweede verbeterde uitgawe van Deel 1 binnekort as E-boek D.V. Sal veskyn. Oor die jare is my aktivisme behoorlik getemper. Hiervoor is ek baie dankbaar. Reeds in 1978, na ons terugkeer in Nederland na 'n ses-week besoek in Suid-Afrika as gesinntjie, het Hein Postma die skoolhoof van die Morawiese Comenius Laerskool van die Evangeliese Broedergemeente in Zeist my uitgedaag toe hy die manuskrip van Honger na Geregtigheid as 'n 'oordosis van medisyne vir 'n siek gemeenskap' beskryf het. E-pos kommunikasie aan die einde van die 20ste eeu briewe het boeke natuurlik verouderd laat raak sodat die toevoegings aan die einde van hierdie werk maar 'n breukdeel is van wat ek die afgelope dertig jaar op my rekenaar ingetik het. Wat ek nou op my blog deponeer is slegs 'n poging om te laat sien hoe God 'n mensekind kon gebruik oor die jare. Aan Hom al die eer! 1. VAN BRIEWE TOT 'N BOEK Briewe in verband met die ontstaan en publikasie van die versameling Wat aanvankliklik as 'n klein boekie beplan was om alleen die oneerlikheid van afsonderlike ontwikkeling "aan die kaak te stel', het nou uitgegroei tot 'n ietwat uitgebreide brieweversameling, waarin selfkritiek aan die orde kom. Daarom het ek die titel verander van "My Stryd teen Gesag" tot "Honger Na Geregtigheid". Dat 'n aktivisme steeds hoogty gevier het, is wel duidelik Daarop is ek nie meer trots nie. (E) Zeist, Junie 1979 Die Redakteur The Star, Johannesburg. Geagte Heer, Hiermee stuur ek bygaande brief ter oorweging vir publikasie in u koerant. (bylae A) In 'n soortgelyke versoenende toon, wil ek graag 'n autobiografie "My stryd teen gesag" skryf. In hierdie boek wil ek van my probleme as onderwyser by die Departement van Kleurlingsake, van die onteiening van ons huis onder die dekmantel van krotopruiming en my "korrespondensie" met die Departement van Gemeenskapsbou het geen antwoord gekry nie)... Die mees beduidendste stryd was egter met die Minister van Binnelandse Sake en met die Eerste Minister. Ek het verloor, want my vriendin was nie gereklassifiseer nie; Inteendeel, twee keer is haar 'n visum geweier, waarna ek besluit het om die land te verlaat. Ek het egter nie my stryd vir die opheffing van die Verbod op Gemengde Huwelike opgegee nie. Ons het 'n gedeeltelike sukses behaal, toe my vrou 'n visum gekry het vir ons wittebroodsreis op voorwaarde dat sy die land binnekom 'saam met haar toekomstige man nie'. Dit het ons gedoen deur gebruikmaking van twee verskillende vlugte. Sodanig was ons in staat om in April 1975 die vrugte te pluk van die "ses maande" wat Mnr.Vorster beloof het. In 'n brief aan Mnr.Vorster het ons ons oneerlikheid toegegee, maar ek het hom ook aangemoedig om met die veranderinge voort te gaan, op grond van onse ervaringen in Suid-Afrika. Die laaste deel van ons stryd behandel dit wat ons op hierdie kant van die wereld. gedoen het, o.a. 'n brief aan Mnr. Willy Brandt, waarin ek om druk op Suid-Afrika gevra het deur die Westerse lande, deur Suid-Afrika op sy woord te neem om alle vorme van rasse-diskriminasie tot en met 1980 af te skaf. ('n Afskrif van hierdie brief is aan Mnr. Vorster gestuur.) Die stryd gaan nog steeds voort, ook teen 'n ander soort gesag - mense in Europa wat dink hulle weet beter, mense egter wat 'n rasse-konflik as die enigste moontlikheid sien waardeur Suid-Afrika tot geregtigheid vir al sy mense sal kom. Daarom dink ek dat die tyd aangebreek het om "My stryd....." te publiseer. (Ek het twee keer Mnr. Vorster gevra of hy enige beswaar het teen die publikasie van die briewe.) Ek sien die publisering self as 'n integrate deel van die stryd vir geregtigheid en versoening....... ADIC Lesersbrief in die "Star" (E) Ek wil graag my waardering uitspreek vir u sorg om Suid-Afrika, wat ook my vaderland is, Inderdaad sien ek verlangend daarna uit om na Suid-Afrika op 'n permanente basis terug te keer, veral om vir versoening en 'n beter onderlinge begrip van die verskillende rasse te werk. (Die belangrikste struikelblok is die Verbod op Gemengde Huwelike.) Ek glo vas dat dit nog steeds moontlik is om te keer, wat die meeste mense in Europa as onvermydelik beskou - 'n rassekonflik van geweldige afmetinge. Ek is bekommerd oor die neiging in Europa om Suid-Afrika af te skryf. Ek kan myself nie met die gedagte versoen, dat ek moet sit en wag op die ,,aanbreek van die nuwe dag" uit die as van voormalige Suid-Afrika nie, Ek glo dat dit moontlik is om die “onvermydelike" te keer, omdat ek glo dat mense kan verander - self klipharde rassiste an radikale terroriste (Ek is bevrees dat jy hierdie term moet behou vir swart en wit mense wat geen respek vir Godgegewe lewe het nie), veral wanneer hulle begin om na Gods doel vir en met hulle te soek. U voorstel dat blankes meer dikwels die meninge en aspirasies van opgevoede swartes op TV moet hoor (internasionale uitgawe van "The Star", Mei 27) is seker waardevol, maar dit hou vir my nog steeds die implikasie in dat die diensmeisie en tuinjong in hul minderwaardigheids-kompleks moet bly. Ek sien direkte verbale kommunikasie as die beste manier om wedersydse begrip op te bou (of om rasseverhoudinge te vertroebel). Wat Suid-Afrika op hierdie tydstip die meeste nodig het, is brug-bouers, mense wat deur God geïnspireer is om blankes met 'n meerderwaardigheidskompleks van hul troontjies te kry en om gekleurdes tot menswaardigheid te help - om respek te leer ongeag die kleur van iemand of sy posisie op die sosiale leer, Veral dink ek, het hierdie brugbouers die taak om die "minderwaardiges" te help om met hul "superieure" as gelykes te praat, ten spyte van ekonomiese ongelykheid. Ek wil, dat verantwoordelike swartes deur alle mense gehoor word, om die selfbewus-syn van die gokleurdes te versterk en om die blankes van hul angs-sindroom te bevry. Meer nog meen ek, dat Suid-Afrikaanse TV films soos die trilogie van Thomas (“Ses dae in Soweto" ens.) moet uitsend as 'n teken van berou oor die onreg van die verlede. Dit kan aangevul word met 'n kommentaar, wat dit duidelik moet maak dat 'n nuwe weg ingeslaan word. Die tyd van klein kosmetiese veranderinge is verby. Alleen radikale verandering sal 'n vredevolle toekoms vir Suid-Afrika verseker. Dit sou nog beter wees as 'n reeks films vertoon kan word op TV (naas die films van ou rassistiese Suid-Afrika) van die nuwe nie~rassistiese Suid-Afrika wat op gelykheid berus, waar miskien nog steeds vrywillige segregasie bestaan, maar waar alle diskriminasie uitgeroei is, waar daar waarborge in die (nuwe) grondwet is om die menseregte van almal te beskerm. ADIC Naskrif: Hierdie brief is op 29 Junie 1979 in die Star geplaas. Die redakteur het daarna verwys in sy hoofartikel verwys in 'n pleidooi om die afskaffing van die Verbod op Gemengde Huwelike en ander rasse-wette, 'n antwoord op die menings van Mnr Louis le Grange, die Adjunk Minister van Binnelandse Sake: 'On the Readers' Views page today we carry a letter from the Reverend Ashley D Cloete... 'The straight answer to Mr le Grange... is that South Africa does not need the Group Areas or the Population Registration Act or the race-orientated sex laws...' Die Eerste Minister, Pretoria. Geagte Mnr.Vorster, Ek sluit hierby 'n afskrif in van 'n lesersbrief aan die Star. Ek beskou die inhoud sinvol vir kennisname van u regering. Ek het soms groot moeite om mense hier in Europa (ook Suid-Afrikaners in Europa) daarvan te oortuig dat Suid-Afrika sonder 'n bloedbad van koers sal kan verander. Ek dink egter nie dat u regering alleen veranderinge moet aanbring om die buiteland tevrede te stel nie. Die enigste maatstaf kan alleen maar wees wat goed, juis en regverdig is teenoor alle mense in Suid-Afrika, in verantwoordelikheid voor God. Mnr. Vorster, ek vind dit nou belangrik om aan u mee te deel dat ek my korrespondensie met regeringsdepartemente wat oor 9 jare strek, in 'n outobiografie “My, stryd teen gesag" wil insluit. Ek sou graag my boekie in diens van versoening wil stel. Dit sou veel beter wees as u regering duidelik gaan toegee dat foute in die verlede gemaak is en dat u vasberade is om dit te korrigeer. Natuurlik moet u dan die daad by die woord voeg. 'n Duidelike bewys van die egtheid van so 'n woord sou wees die opheffing van die Verbod op Gemengde Huwelike en die verklaring van sommige woongebiede as "neutraal", waar mense van verskillende rasse saam mag woon as hulle dit verkies. (Binne hierdie raamwerk wil ons - en seker ook nog ander gemengde egpare in die buiteland - na Suid-Afrika terugkeer om vir versoening tussen die rasse te werk.) Juis omdat ek in die eerste plek aan mense binne Suid-Afrika dink, sal ek my boekie in Afrikaans skryf. Ek wil ook nie oorhaastig die boek publiseer nie. Aan die ander kant het ons nie soveel tyd tot ons beskikking om die rewolusie te stuit nie. Daarom sou ek ook graag 'n gesprek met u wou hê tydens ons besoek in Suid-Afrika. Volgens ons voorlopige rooster is ons .... vanaf 4-10 November op die Rand. Ek sou bly wees as 'n onderhoud gereël kan word. Met vriendelike groete, maar nietemin Hoogagtend die uwe, ADIC P.S. Ek wil my boekie nie as drukmiddel sien om die genoemde wette afgeskaf te kry nie, maar liewer as hulp om blanke Suid-Afrikaners van hul vooroordele te bevry. (Hierdie brief is om die een of ander rede - waarskynlik die vrees dat ons reisplanne verydel sou word - nooit weggestuur nie. Die telefoniese aanvraag om 'n onderhoud met Mnr.Vorster, wat intussen Staatspresident geword het, kon tot sy spyt nie toegestaan word nie. Dit was juis die tyd toe Dr. Mulder as Kabinetsminister bedank het. ) 2. 'n OPSTANDIGE JONGMAN Die Brief aan die Munisipaliteit Parow In Junie 1969, tydens 'n verblyf in Europa, het ek 'n brief van my ouers gekry met die nuus dat ons huis en grond onteien word op grond van krotopruiming. Ons het weliswaar van familielede gehoor dat ryk mense van Bellville-Suid genader was of hulle ons grond wou koop net die oog op oprigting van winkels, maar ons het dit as wilde gerugte beskou. As bewoners van 'n muurhuis, het ons onsself immers nie onder die kategorie krotbewoners getel nie. Hatuurlik het ook my ouers maar al te goed geweet hoe so 'n onteiening sou toegaan. Eers sou hulle nog maande lang huur vir hul eie huis moet betaal, totdat jy ten slotte in 'n huurhuis van die munisipaliteit kon intrek. Toe ek genoemde brief kry, was my hele verblyf in Europa vir my bederf. Ek het weliswaar nooit juis versigtig gepraat nie, in weerwil van verskillende waarskuwings dat die Suid-Afrikaanse inligtingsdiens in Europe oral te vinde is, maar ek het altyd geprobeer om verantwoordelik te bly. Na hierdie brief het ek egter onverskillig geword en onder meer die volgende brief geskryf, met afskrifte aan verskillende persone en instansies, waaronder die Departement van Stuttgart, 5 Julie 1969 Die Stadsklerk, Munisipaliteit Parow, Parow, Kaap Geagte Heer, Hierdie skrywe word aan u gerig vir oorlegpleging net u stadsraad n.a.v, die verklaring van 'n deel van (nie-blanke) Tiervlei tot agterbuurt, gevolg deur u skrywe en gesprek met my moeder dat ook ons huis te Northwaystraat 46 plek moet maak vir meer mo-derne huise. Mag ek dit egter uit die staanspoor duidelik stel dat ek die pogings van die regering om die nie-blankes se lewensstandaard op te hef, waardeer. Die opheffing, soos veral deur die Munisipaliteit Parow geinterpreteer, lyk egter vir my meer na 'n lonende besigheidsonderneming. Ter stawing van hierdie bewering vestig ek u aandag op die volgende feite; Toe u munisipaliteit destyds die nuwe behuisingskena in Tiervlei gebou het in gehoor-saamheid aan die groepsgebiedewet, is baie mense uit hul EIE, alhoewel in baie gevalle armoedige huise, gedryf om in die ietwat beter huise - dog nog sonder elektrisiteit en spoelklosette - 'n WEEKLIKSE HUUR te betaal. U sal natuurlik dadelik sê dat hierdie mense vir hulle huis en grond vergoed is... Die feit is egter dat hierdie mense eerder drinkgeld gekry het as geld waarmee hulle weer grond kon koop. Ek stel graag twee vrae in hierdie stadium (i) Wat het u munisipaliteit alreeds gedoen om die grootskaalse alkoholisme onder ons mense te bekamp of raak dit u glad nie? Baie van ons dranksugtiges woon bv. in u skema-huisies met 'n opvallende gebrek of selfs afwesigheid van meubels. In hulle eenkamer-sinkhuisies het dit nie so snaaks gelyk nie. In kort; AAN HIERDIE MENSE IS GROTER VERANTVOORDELIKHEID GEGEE. SONDER OM HULLE DAAROP VOOR TE BEREI. (ii) Wat het u munisipaliteit gedoen om mense te help om aan eie eiendom te kom? Wat u wel gedoen het is om nog meer en meer skema-huise te bou en op die ou end het u self sinkhuise gebou. Nou het u uiteindelik genoeg huurgeld van die skema-bewoners ontvang, sodat u dit kan waag om die meer gegoedes uit hulle eiendomme te dryf met 'n belaglike "vergoeding" ..... Mag ek vervolgens wys op 'n paar feite betreffend die ouerhuis, wat ek oor die afgelope 14 jaar leer liefkry het; (Ek, ook my familie glo ek, is egter heel bereid om daarvan afstand te doen vir u "opheffingswerk" as u ons net die werklike waarde van huis en grond gee, sodat ons dan êrens elders kan gaan woon in 'n eie woning.) (a) Dit sou my nogal interesseer om te verneem hoe u u berekeninge doen. Is dit die ou beproefde groepsgebiede-metode; Koopwaarde minus waardevemindering plus 'n klein aanpassing vir stygende lewenskoste? Ek het nou nie juis ekonomie bestudeer nie, maar ek het altyd gedink dat die waarde van vaste eiendom net die jare vermeerder. (b) Die huis self het nog bitter min verf of kalk tot in daardie stadium aan die binne-mure gesien en buitekant glad nie. Die bouvallige toestand het oor die jare reparasies genoodsaak wat selfs 14 jaar gelede ook nie danig goedkoop was nie. Dis om nie eers te praat van reparasies en veranderinge wat ons as wenslik geag het nie, (c) Die betreklik groot grond het destyds bestaan uit bome, kweek en 'n stuk wat in die winter toe onder die water was. (d) Northwaystraat was destyds 'n pad wat gedeeltelik uit sand, klei en klip bestaan het. Die grootliks verbeterde gruispad en dreinering is duidelik weerspieël in die hoe munisipale belastings van die afgelope paar jaar. Dit lyk of u "vergoeding" hierdie dingetjies gerieflik vergeet het. (e) Dit mag u verder miskien interesseer, dat ons bure in Distrik Ses (Ja, die berugte agterbuurt van Kaapstad van alle plekke!) gedink het dat ons mal is om in die oerwoud te gaan woon. (Ek het self gedink dat daar tiere in Tiervlei is.) Vandag sou dieselfde mense wat wou gee om in Tiervlei 'n huis te kan besit, nie net omdat hulle self weens die groepsgebiedewet moet verhuis nie. Vanselfsprekend is u vraag aan my; Wat wil jy nou eintlik? Aangesien ek reeds soveel van u kosbare tyd in beslag geneem het, vat ek dit saam in die volgende punte: (a) 'n Hersiening van u woningsverskaffingsbeleid in die rigting om mense te help om eiendomme te besit, bv. op 15 -50 jaar basis. (b) 'n Doeltreffender gebruik van die gemeenskapsentrum om die mense kultureel ook op te voed. Op die oomblik is dit 'n bioskoop- en danssaal en verder 'n wit olifant wat die hele week leeg staan. (c) 'n Doelgerigte en stelselmatige aksie om alkoholisme te bestry en veral om alkoholiste te rehabiliteer. Ek sou in 'n verdere brief konkreter kon uitwy oor my voorstelle (b) en (c), desnoods ook oor (a), as dit u interesseer. Die veronderstelling is egter telkens dat u bereid meet wees om geld vryelik te spandeer (persoonlik sou ek se veilig belê) Voorstel (a) is vir my persoonlik van groot belang, want alhoewel ek Suid-Afrika in toenemende mate liefhet, het ek my ouers en ouerhuis liewer (en Jesus nog liewer!). Wat hier 'n beleefde pleidooi vir geregtigheid is, kan 'n eis word wanneer ek na Suid-Afrika terugkeer. Hierdie is geen ydele dreigemient nie; • inteendeel, alhoewel slegs 25 jaar oud, het ek bv. genoeg invloed onder ons mense (meer as Mnr.Tom Swartz, sg. leier van die 'Kleurlinge', in elk geval) om hulle daartoe aan te spoor om liewer saam met my tronk toe te gaan, i.p.v. om huishuur te betaal. Dink 'n bietjie na oor die implikasies, as die massas liewer verkies om op hierdie manier "vir die ongeregtigheid to ly" (as u dink dat my aanspraak op invloed oordrewe is, kan u gerus Ds. Bester, blanke leraar vin die N.G.Sendingkerk en Mnr. N. de Goede, leier van die Wayside Sendinggenootskap, twee blankes dus wat onder die 'Kleurlinge' van Tiervlei werk, raadpleeg) Ek is egter die eerste om te erken dat sodanige handelswyse nie danig christelik is nie, maar dit lyk vir my meer in ooreenstemming daarmee as “christelike" Apartheid. Veel eerder wil ek egter my invloed op die baie moeiliker positiewe wyse probeer aanwend (ons mense is geweldig vatbaar vir negatiewe invloed.) Hiervoor is ek egter aangewese minstens op die volkome ondersteuning van die Munisipaliteit Parow. U het ten slotte die volgende moontlikhede: (a) U gewete word minstens deur hierdie brief aangeraak en u oorwecg dit met die erns wat dit verdien. (b) Omdat ek ONteVREDE is, is ek 'n gevaar vir die vrede in Suid-Afrika. U sorg dus dat 'n afskrif van hierdie brief so gou as moontlik in die hande van die owerhede kom, sodat hulle net hierdie astrante jong knaap kan afreken, desnoods sy paspoort intrek, sodat ek nooit weer terug mag kon nie. Mag ek in hierdie opsig herhaal, dat ek Suid-Afrika lief het en graag terug wil keer om my mense te dien. By voorbaat dank vir u ernstige oorweging van hierdie brief, Dienswillig die uwe, ADIC "Uitslag": Die brief het nie gehelp nie. Daar was geen reaksie nie. Dit was seker naief van my om enigiets te verwag, want daarvoor was my brief veels te skerp en te sarkasties. Ook was my bowering i.v.m. die Groepsgebiedewet nie op empiriese navorsing gegrond nie, maar eerder op hoorsê. Deur hierdie brief het ek egter ook skuld op myself gelaai, want ek weet nie eers watter gevolge my woede en verbittering vir die arm mense gehad het nie- die mense wat ek wou help. Watter reaksie het ek ontketen by die beamptes van die Munisipaliteit Parow of van die Departement Gemeenskapsbou? My ouers moes verhuis. Gelukkig het die huis van my grootouers, wat intussen nie meer geleef het nie, in Elim leeg gestaan, sodat hulle daarheen kon verhuis. My vader sou nou trekarbeider word, want Elim is 200 Km van Kaapstad. Hy kon egter - in teenstelling met ander trekarbeiders - elke tweede week Elim toe gaan. Die hele aangeleentheid was egter vir hom te veel. Sy hart het begin moeilikheid gee. Met 58 jaar moes hy met pensioen aftree. My paspoort is nie ingetrek nie. My jeugdige voortvarendheid is my nie ten laste gelê nie; inteendeel, hulle het my paspoort vir 'n verdere jaar verleng. Na 'n afwesigheid van twee jaar, sou ek nie alleen meer soveel invloed hê onder die mense van Tiervlei nie, maar ook het my ouers nie meer hier gewoon nie. Terug in Suid-Afrika is ek wreed ontnugter. Die meeste 'Kleurlinge' met wie ek gepraat het, was nie juis opgewonde om arrestering te riskeer nie, ook nie die jong blankes van die Christelike Instituut nie. Die swart Afrikaners (sg. Bantoes) met wie ek in die trein probeer gesels het, het my eerder met agterdog bejeên en by my eie sporadiese oortredings van die onchristelike ‘net vir Blankes'-wette, is ek nooit gearresteer nie. 5. LI E W E MNR. V 0 R S T E R Brief aan die Eerste Minister. Agtergrond; Sedert Januarie 1972 was ek voltydse student aan die Theologiese Seminarie van die Morawiese Kerk in Kaapstad. Die twee voltydse dosente was Duitsers en dus min of neer op die genade van die regering aangewese. Ek was wel bereid om in 'n persoonlike hoedanigheid die onmin van die regering op die hals te haal, maar ek wou nie aan die regering aanleiding gee om een of albei te deporteer nie. Toe die (blanke) studente van die Univcrsiteit van Kaapstad in Junie 1972 bereid was om teen die ongelykheid van ons onderwysstelsel te demonstreer, ten spyte van brutale ingryping van die polisie, het ek hierdie oorwegings laat vaar. Ons as studente het saam gedemonstreer, wetende dat ons saam met die ander gearresteer sou kon word. Onder invloed van werk by die seminarie, het die gevolge van trekarbeid my geweldig beweeg. Die Here self het my egter die moed gegee, om die volgende brief nie alleen te skryf nie, maar ook om dit weg te stuur. Ashleystraat 17, Kaapstad. 20 Oktober 1972. Die Eerste Minister, Pretoria. Liewe Mnr. Vorster, Verskoon tog dat ek u met "liewe" aanspreek, maar ek voel eenvoudig dat dit gepas is, want God het so ''n liefde in my hart teenoor u uitgestort. (Eers was daar eerder 'n gevoel in die rigting van haat, omdat u en u regering nie alleen besig is om ons swart en gekleurde mense te onderdruk nie, maar veral ook omdat u regeringsbeleid soveel haat en wantroue saai.) Terwyl ek vanoggend op my knieë was en onder andere ook vir ons land gebid het, het God dit op my hart gelê om vir u hierdie brief te skryf. Dit het vir my duidelik geword dat dit "die krag van die dwaling" (2 Thess. 2:1l) is wat u en baie ander verblind, terwyl u dink dat u ander mense 'n rat voor die oë draai. Verder het dit vir my duidelik geword dat die land in enkele jare anders daar gaan uitsien. In waiter rigting dit anders gaan wees, kan ook van u afhang. 'n Bybelwoord wat telkens weer in my geheue opskiet, is: "Nie deur krag of geweld nie, maar deur my Gees, sê die Here van die leërskare." (Sag. 4:6) Hierdie brief wil nog verder 'n profetiese uitdaging wees: Wil u nie soos 'n President Lincoln, 'n duidelike standpunt vir God, vir reg en geregtigheid, inneem nie? Dit sal natuurlik beteken dat u aan God gehoorsaam moet word. As u dit doen, kan S.A. werklik 'n groot nasie word, 'n nasie wat God nie net met lippetaal vereer nie. Beseffende dat u 'n baie besige man is, sal ek hier ophou. Ek sou egter graag die korrespondensie wou voortsit. Sou u dit as lastig ondervind? Ek dink aan nog so 'n brief of twee. Hartlike groete van iemand wat S.A. liefhet (egter heelwat ondergeskik aan my liefde teenoor God en my naaste). Die uwe in Christus, ADIC Nabeskouing; Ook al het nooit weer so 'n sterk "vyandsliefde" teenoor Mnr. Vorster gevoel, het die ervaring van 20 Oktober 1972 my wel eens en vir altyd van haatgevoelens teenoor blankes sonder Lieur, bevry. Dit was vir my die onomstootlike bewys dat geloof in Jesus jou in staat stel om jou "vyande lief te hê Suid-.Afrika het in die jare hierna drasties verander, maar dit was heelaas nie 3c""el aan Mnr. Vorster te danke nie as aan ander faktore.(die stakings van 1975; die gebeure in Portugal, Mosambiek en Angola in 1974 en 1975; die onluste van Soweto en elders in 1976 en 1977) Intussen het ek ook geleer dat President Lincoln tog nie so 'n groot filantroop was soos ek destyds gedink het nie. Hy het immers toegegee dat hy alleen die slawe vrygestel het omdat dit 'n hulp in die Anerikaanse burgeroorlog was. Ek kan my goed voorstel dat die Eerste Minister my destyds seker vir 'n godsdienstige kranksinnige aangesien het. Ook al was ek destyds oor sy antwoord erg teleurgesteld, is dit vir hom tog seker 'n pluspunt dat hy nie die veiligheidspolisie op my spoor gesit het nie. (Ek het nôg onverwagte "besoek" gehad,. nôg is ek na Caledon Square ontbied. P.S. Die paring van die woorde geregtigheid en geregtigheid, soos gesien in Amos 5:24, is algemeen in die Bybelboek Amos (vergelyk 5: 7; 6:12) sowel as ander boeke van die Ou Testament. As diegene wat in 'n verbondsverhouding was met die een wie se heerskappy gebaseer is op geregtigheid en geregtigheid (Psalm 89:14; Jesaja 9: 7) en wat hierdie deugde liefhet (Psalm 33: 5), moes die volk van God die dieselfde in hul verhoudings met mekaar beoefen. Toe hulle dit nie gedoen het nie, het God hulle uitgedaag en soms gestraf. Die voorkoms van hierdie twee woorde dui sterk daarop dat geregtigheid en geregtigheid parallelle terme is en daarmee verband hou. Een manier om die terme te beskou, is om geregtigheid (regverdig en geregtelik op te tree) te sien as die vrug van gewortel in geregtigheid (wat reg is in verband met God en die medemens). 2. Ek het eintlik wederregtelik die adres van Moravian Hill gebruik. Ons as studente moes eintlik die huisie van die kerk, Ashleystraat 18, streng gesproke gebruik,. In die praktyk was ons egter nooit daar nie. REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA KANTOOR VAN DIE EERSTE MINISTER. PRETORIA. November 1972 Mnr. A.D.I. Cloete, Ashleystraat 17, KAAPSTAD Geagte nnr. Gloete, Sy Edele die Eerste Minister het aan my opgedra om die ontvangs van u skrywe gedateer 20 Oktober 1972 te erken en u mee te deel dat hy die hoogste agting en waardering vir mense se godsdienstige gevoelens het omdat hy self 'n gelowige mens is, uaar dat hy mense wat onder die dekmantel van godsdiens politiek maak, verafsku. Die uwe, (get.) 'n Handtekening, PRIVaatTSEKRETARIS 6. HERENIGING LANGS 'N OMWEG Brief van Pastor Osterwald. (Duitse Lutherse Kerk) Agtergrond; Om aan die voorwaardes van die Ministerie van Binnelandse Sake te voldoen, moes Rosemarie na Suid-Afrika kom voordat sy geherklassifiseer kon word. Deur bemiddeling van Eerw. Henning Schlimm, die direkteur van ons Seminarie, is werk vir haar gevind by die kindertuin van die Duitse Lutherse Kerk, sodat sy vir permanente verblyfsvergunning in aanmerking kon kom. Pastor Osterwald het groot moed aan die dag gelê, soos die volgende brief toon. DIE DUITSE LUTHERSE ST. MARTINI KERK Bo Langstraat, Kaapstad Liewe Mejuffrou Gὂbel, Vandag gou net die belangrikste. Ek wil u nie langer laat wag nie. Ek skryf bewus met die hand, omdat van hierdie brief geen afskrif mag bestaan nie. Waarskynlik kry u binnekort 'n "regte" brief. U kan uit hierdie handelswyse aflei, dat hier, d.w.s. in ons gemeente, niemand van die agtergrond van u besluit weet nie. Ek sal dit ook aan geen enkel persoon vertel nie en ek wil u dringend vra om dit ook so te doen. Vertel asseblief in geen enkele van u volgende briewe aan Ashley lets daarvan en dat u iemand hier ken nie. U sien, dat u posisie hier nie maklik sal wees nie. Van ons kant wil ek u sê dat u met hierdie besluit 'n waagstuk aangepak het, wat u in menige konflik sal lei. Ek keur u besluit goed en beloof u my volle ondersteuning. Dit sal helaas nie veel wees nie, omdat ek al in Mei na Duitsland terugkeer. Miskien sal u tot onopregtheid gedwing word en nenig 'n gewetensnood moet dra. Ek is bereid om dieselfde gewetensnood met u te dra en my daaraan "skuldig" te maak. Ons mag egter ook weet dat die grootste aandeel aan skuld op die ander kant is. Dus: hou goeie moed en wees nie bevrees nie ! ..... C.Osterwald Korrespondensie met_die Suid-Afrikaanse Konsulaat in_München Agtergrond; "Heel toevallig" het 'n Kleurling uit ’n voorstad van Kaapstad in Rosemarie se vriendekring in Duitsland opgeduik. Hy sou die volgende week na Kaapstad gaan. Omdat sy nie geweet het dat ook kleurlinge deur die veiligheidspolisie gebruik word nie, het Rosemarie in haar onskuld 'n geluidscassette wat vir my bestemd was, aan die man gegee. Op die toonband het sy onder andere die brief van Pastor Osterwald voorgelees. Die geluidscassette het nooit by my uitgekom nie. In plaas hiervan het Rosemarie besoek gehad van 'n sekere kommisaris wat haar te kenne gegee het dat hy kontakte not die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering het en dat haar visum nie toegestaan sou word nie. Uit die gesprek het duidelik geblyk dat hy die inhoud van die geluidscasasette geken het. By nadere ondersoek het geblyk dat die bepaalde kommissaris hoegenaamd nie by die polisie van Reutlingen gewerk het, soos hy beweer het nie. ************ 9. DIE VRIENDE VAN DIE "R 0 0 I B 0EK" Agtergrond; Toe ons begin Oktober 1975, na beeindiging van my studie in Bad Boll na Berlyn gekom het, was daar 'n hewige debat in die kerklike pers aan die gang oor Suid-Afrika. Ek wou my nie in die openbaar in die saak inneng nie, veral omda-b ek daar-van oortuig was dat die geeerde professor mislei was deur sy Suid-Afrikaaanse informante. Sy bewering dat hy in Suid-Afrika geen spoor van offisiële diskriminering kon aantref nie, was vir my een te veel. Berlyn, 20 Oktober 1975. Geagte Professor Winterhager, Mag ek myself gou voorstel. - Ek is 'n kleurling-predikant van die Broederkerk. (Morawiers). Ek kon uit Suid-Afrika en sedert drie weke is ek die tweede predikant van die Broederkerk in Neukölln ('n voorstad van Berlyn). Verlede jaar het ek 'n deel van my vikariaat (hulp-predikantskap) hier in Berlyn gedoen. Gedurende hierdie tyd het ek ook u leer ken, toe ek met Pastor Knothe die Raad van Kerke van Berlyn as gas besoek het. Aangesien ek eers onlangs weer na Berlyn gekom het, het ek eers nie geweet waaroor die diskussie in die "Berliner Kirchenreport" gaan nie, veral omdat ek u destyds heel aangenaam in herinnering gehad het. omdat ek ook weet dat die omstandighede in Suid-Afrika af en toe onwaarheidsgetrou oordryf word, het ek aanvanklik ook groot begrip gehad toe u uself nie goed weergegee gevoel het nie. Nadat ek egter die samestelling van die verskillende tekste van die Berlynse Sendingswerk gelees het — ek gaan daarvan uit dat hulle outenties is - moet ek as neutrale persoon " sê dat ek meen dat u heel regverdig en broederlik behandel is, alhoewel ek die "anders.. ." slotsin (dus 'n bedekte dreigement, my redaksie) van Pastor Holm betreur. Vir die res was ek egter verbysterd oor u opvattinge, waarvan ek verlede jaar by ons gesprek in Wannsee en in die motor op ons terugweg niks gemerk het nie. Ek wil graag op 2 punte ingaan (in sy geheel kan ek met die brief van Pastor Holm (11.9.75) alleen maar saamstem) 1 . Ek kan u swart op wit wys hoe amptelike diskrininasie weens jou ras daar uitsien. Ons het 'n sertifikaat van die Suid-Afrikaanse Konsulaat, wat duidelik uitdruk, dat my huwelik met 'n blanke Duitse meisie nie in Suid-Afrika erken word nie. 2. As lid van die Christelike Instituut, sou ek graag met u daaroor wil praat. U indruk daaryan skyn nie met die waarheid ooreen te stem nie. Hartelike groete in Christus, ADIC Resultaat; Ten spyte van meer as een poging van my kant om die verlangde gesprek tot stand te bring, is dit my nie geluk om 'n vaste afspraak te maak nie. 17 '(Omdat ek vroeër ook 'n deel van my vikariaat in Berlyn gedoen het, het ek al heelwat kontak gehad met groepe wat Suid-Afrika teenwerk — met name die Anti-Apartheidbeweging en die ANC. Ek was egter vasboslote om my deur niemand te laat gebruik nie, en daarom het ek geen lidnaatskap aangegaan nie. My lidmaatskap van die Christelike Instituut van Suid-Afrika het ek bewus behou. Die volgende brief het seker baie daartoe bygedra dat ek ook deur politieke en andere groepe met rus gelaat is.) Berlyn, 14 Januarie 1975 Die Redakteur, Tagesspiegel. Berlyn. Geagte Heer, Ek voldoen hiermee aan die versoek van die Ekumeniese Raad van Berlyn om as iemand wat in Suid-Afrika gebore is, op die brief van Mnr. Rasmus Gramsch kommentaar te lewer, en ek vra u tegelyk om hierdie brief te publiseer. Met betrekking tot my persoon wil en nog noem, dat ek 2 jaar gelede uit Suid-Afrika gekom het, dat ek my vaderland liefhet, maar dat dit nie moontlik is om daar te woon nie, omdat my huwelik met 'n blanke vrou nie deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering erken word nie. Ek wil nie in besonderhede op die brief van Mnr.Gramsch ingaan nie, maar ek wil alleen vasstel dat Mnr. Gramsch heel duidelik Suid-Afrika, van die kant van die bevoorregtes beleef het en sy informasie uit die rigting moet hê. Sonder om sy bronne van misleiding te beskuldig, moet gesê word dat sy inligting oor nie-blankes nie altyd aan die waarheid getrou is nie. Maar hoe kan hy (of hulle) dit ook weet, want in Suid-Afrika verteenwoordig eike ras mos 'n eie klein wereld vanweë die apartheidswette, wat 'n sekere groep van blankes op die hele bevolking afgedwing het. Om (soos Mnr. G) te beweer dat 'die apartheidswette .... die nie-blankes (en blankes) na hulle vertroude gebiede verwys' is ten minste 'n halwe waarheid. Hoeveel mense moes nie teen hul sin uit hul vertroude omgewings wegtrek, alleen omdat hulle die verkeerde velkleur gehad het. En dan hoef ek nie eers die groot onregverdigheid waarmee hierdie gedwonge verhuisings plaasgevind het en die krasse ongelykheid ten gunste van blankes van sportgronde, strande ens. te noem nie. Watter blanke Suid-Afrikaner sal nog bestry, dat hy teenoor die ander rasse bevoorreg is? Ons (kleurling)onderwysers verdien bv. by gelyke opleiding wel minder as hul blanke kollegas, maar ook nog heelwat meer as die swartes. Ek glo egter nie, dat ons verder kon as ons of die sondes van die blanke Suid-Afrikaners aftel of probeer om dit te verdedig nie. Ek meen egter, dat ons aan alle Suid-Afrikaners 'n diens bewys, wanneer diegene wat kontakte met Suid- Afrika het (Sulke.mense is in Duitsland blykbaar volop te vinde) ons oor die vir ons onbekende' lewensgebiede informeer en dit na Suid-Afrika verder gee. (Weens die wetgewing daar, kan jy hoogstens een lewanspatroon goed leer ken - as 'Kleurling' Suid-Afrikaner weet ek nog heel weinig van die lewenswyse van die blankes en nog minder van die swart en Indiese Suid-Afrikaners.) Ek is graag bereid om inligting oor die 'Kleurlinge' te verstrek. Miskien kan ons dan van hier uit op hierdie manier tot versoening tussen die rasse bydra. As Christen keur ek die negatiewe skeiding van rasse skerp af. 'n Wedersydse kennismaking en leer ken van die verskillende rasse beskou ek as veel belowender vir die toekoms as hul skeiding. Dit kan daarby 'n hulp wees om die gemeenskaplike christelike geloof (of ander gemeenskaplikhede) op die voorgrond te plaas, in plaas van om die kulturele en taalverskille hoog te speel. Apartheid het in Suid-Afrika al genoeg haat en onmin gesaai. Waarom sou ons dit hier in Duitsland gaan voortsit? Ons help geen Suid-Afrikaner as ons enersyds alle blankes oor die kam van rassisme skeer nie, maar nog minder help dit om die onververdige stelsel daar te wil vergoeilik of te wil verdedig. Pastor Ashley Cloete (Evangeliese Broederkerk) (Tot my groot teleurstelling het nie 'n enkele persoon van my aanbod gebruik gemaak nie. 'n Reaksie van 'n ander gemengde egpaar in Berlyn het egter tot 'n hegte vriendskap ontwikkel.) (Uit dieselfde rigting as Prof. Winterhager het in 1976 "Rotbuch Kirche" (Rooiboek Kerk) verskyn, waarin ook drie ar-bikels oor Suider—Afrika was; Jens Motschnann - epd: Propaganda in plaas van inligting Helmut Matthies - Die kerk praat: Suid- en Suidwes-Afrika in die verdraaide spieël van die evangiese akademies. Joachim Ruff - EED (Evangeliese kerk in Duitstsland en die Duitse Kerk in S.IJ.A Studentekollegas van vroeër, wat met die Albrecht Bengel-Huis in Tübingen verbonde is, het my gevra om op die drie artikels konmentaar te lewer. Berlyn, ... Maart/April 1977 Kommentaar op 3 Artikels oor Suider-Afrika in "Rotbuch Kirche" Julle het my seker gevra om kommentaar lewer omdat ek, afgesien van 5 jaar in Duitsland, my hele lewe in Suid-Afrika deurgebring het. Laat my reg aan die begin duidelik stel, dat ek my heel ongraag in hierdie polemiek begewe, omdat dit op albei kante so onsuiwer (byna vuil) bedryf word. Eers wil ek 'n paar algemene opmerkings oor al drie artikels maak, voordat ek hulle afsonderlik bespreek: a)Die teologiese uitgangspunt by veral die here Motschmann en Ruff is vir my in 'n kardinale punt problematies. Albei gaan van skeiding (van rasse en volke) uit en daarom vind hulle geen moeite met die politiek van afsonderlike ontwikkeling nie. Dit is vir my deurslaggewend, dat Christus die muur van skeiding afgebreek het, om mense van hul isolasie te bevry. Hiervan uitgaande, is dit vir my bv. heeltenal onbelangrik om te "weet wie van die blankes of die swartes eerste in Suid-.Afrika aangekom het. Maar afgesien van teologiese oorwegingen, sou dit tog veel verstandiger wees om die gemeenskaplikhede van verskillende groepe te beklemtoon in plaas van hulle verskille. In elk geval hou dit meer vir die toekoms in. Die beklemtoning van verskille is net 'n klein treetjie weg van die verewiging van onregverdige strukture. b) ln noue verband met die "Skeidingsdenke" is daar die groot belangrikheid van identiteitsbehoudenis. Na my mening behoort identiteit veral tot verryking van ander te dien. Ek vind dit bv. goed, dat die -iifrikanervolk aan Suid-Afrika sy christelike stempel gegee het, aaar dit is sleg wanneer die eie waardesisteme op ander groepe met dwang deur die wet opgelê word. Op soortgelyke wyse moet die mooi Afrika-tradisies en -gebruike beskou word, maar die swart christene moet aangemoedig word om ander groepe daarmee te verryk. c) Niemand word daarmee gedien as eensydige kritiek net so eensydig beantwoord word nie. In die hele poleraiek kan goed aaugotdon word hoe halwe en kwartwaarhede 'n verdraaide beeld tot gevolg het. Ek weet dat ek in die na?.a van die neeste Suid-Afrikaners kan spreek, wanneer ek sê dat ons nie die swart-wit beriggewing (swart=:goed, wit=sleg) van baie buitelandse joerrnaliste nodig het om die ongereg-tigheid van die S.A.-regering aan die kaak te stel nie. Aan die ander kant is die S.A.-regering in baie opsigte kritieser ten opsigte van hul eie beleid as die skrywers in "Rotbuch Kirche". d)Ek kan die materialistiese denkwyse, soos dit veral in die artikel van die heer Motschmann na vore kom, nie aanvaar nie. Dit is vir my 'n algemene probleem. Hoe kan jy aan mense in Duitsland en in Suid-Afrika duidelik maak, dat mensewaarde vir jou belangriker is as rykdom, dat ek arrnoede en geregtigheid hoër beoordeel as rykdom wat met ongeregtigheid gepaard gaan? 10. TRANSKEI, 'N 'TUISLAND' WORD ONAFHANKELIK (Tot ongeveer 1975 het ons ernstig oorweeg om na die onafhanklikheid van die Transkei, daarheen te gaan. Dit het ek ook aan die Kerkbestuur neegedeel. Ons besoek daar op ons wittebroodsreis en die verdere ontwikkelinge in die Transkei het ons van plan laat verander. My korrespondensie met Willy Mbalana, predikant van die Broederkerk in Sada' n hervestigingsgebied, het hiertoe seker 'n groot rol gespeel. Sada, Desember 1976 Liewe broers en susters, Ek skryf weer om aan julle infornasie oor die verskriklike dinge te gee wat hier by ons gebeur het. Soos julle weet, het die Transkei onlangs onafhanklik geword. Sou het opponente van die onafhanklikheid besluit, om weg te trek en hulle het ander mense beinvloed om huis en haard te verlaat. Hier naby ons is nou 10,000 tente waarin vlugtelinge woon. Die tente is deur die Ciskei-Tuislandregering let beskikking gestel. Die tente is egter by verre na nie toereikend nie. Baie mense maak eenvoudig hutte uit mieliesakke en boomtakke. Julle kan julle voorstel, hoe dit is wanneer dit rëen. Baie mense het byna niks om te eet nie en die kinders is baie vatbaar vir siektes. Airssdsis hier baie ernstige gevalle. Toe ek verlede week by die dokter was, het ek 'n vrou met haar twee siek kinders (2 en 5 jaar oud onderskeidelik) daar aangetref. Voordat die dokter egter die 5-jarige kon ondersoek, het die kind gesterf. Die ander kind het in die hande van die noeder tydens die ondersoek gesterf. Die dokter het gesê dat die oorsaak hongerte was en niks anders nie. Julle moet ook weet, dat die mense in die tente geen goeie water het om mee te kook nie. Langs die tente is net drinkwater vir diere en geen toilette nie. Jy vra jouself af hoe die situasie volgende jaar sal wees, as dit nou al so is. As iemand wat in die Transkei gebore is, maar in die Ciskoi werk, noot ek werkdokumente hê omdat ek in 'n ander land werk. As ek huis toe wil gaan, moet ek verblyfsvergunning aansoek doen. Nou het ek ook nog meer werk, omdat Broer Eberle, ('n Duitser), nie na twee van sy filiaalgemeentes mag gaan nie. Ek is nou vir 8 gemeentes vorantwoordelik. Bid asseblief vir ons en indien moontlik, help ons finansieel, sodat ons die mense in die tente kan help. Ek wens julle 'n geseënde Kersfees toe! W.M. Mbalana Ek het ongelukkig nie meer die oorspronklike brief gehad nie. Hier moes ek verlief neem met my ietwat geredigeerde vertaling vir Duitse vriende. Ook van die volgende brief het ek slegs 'n vertaling wat ek vir afkondiging in die kerk gebruik het. Liewe Broeder, Jammer dat ek julle op pos laat wag het .... Hou is daar egter ook die minder nooi kant. Dit is winter en verskriklik om te sien hoe mense onder treurige toestande in die koue moet leef. Dit het my 'n bietjie getroos toe 'n predikant van die Kongregasionaliste Kerk, met wie ek vroeër saam op skool was., my R50 gegee het. Met Gods hulp kon ek heel gunstig 50 komberse vir die vlugtelingskinders koop. Ek was diep bewoë toe die mense uit vreugde huil toe ek die komberse weggebring het ..... W.M. Mbalana (Toe ek hierdie reëls vertaal het, moes ek ook huil- egter om 'n ander rede. Ek het destyds geskryf “weëns my onverskilligheid en die onverskilligheid van ons gemeente." By berou behoort egter meer as alleen maar trane. Die volgende briewe gee 'n aanduiding hoe ek geprobeer het om hieraan gestalte te gee. Intussen was ons na Nederland beroep.) ***** Zeist, 1 Maart 1978 Streekbestuur(Wes) Broederkerk, Suid-Afrika. Liewe Broeders, Al meer as 2 jaar lank lê 'n brief aan u al op my hart, want sedert my ordening was aan my duidelik- dat ek u in kennis moes stel as 'n ou produk van Suid-Afrika (Wes).... dat ek my dienste vir werk in 'n onafhanklike Transkei wou aanbied. Om dit duidelik te stel: hierdie diskriminasie was geen protes-aksie nie. Ek het dit as my beskeie bydrae gesien tot versoening van die leed, wat ook ons mense aan ons broeders uitdeel, wat toevallig 'n swart vel het. ...... Maar nou wil ek u graag enkele nuwe insigte meedeel, Broederkerk later van diens te kan wees. (Ek gaan daarvan uit dat die Verbod op gemengde huwelike binne enkele jare uiteindelik afgeskaf sal word.) Ons wil wel onder die Afrikane werk (sien bo!), maar ek voel ook 'n verpligting teenoor my ”ou" provinsie, veral in die lig van die maer jare wat voorlê, t.o.v. die getal van predikante. Ek dink nou in terme van diens een van die stedelike ,,Bantoe"-gemeentes in kombinasie met 'n "kleurling"-gemeente (bv. Gugulethu en Manenberg.) Ek weet dat ek geen reg het om van buite-af sake in Suid-Afrika te beinvloed nie, maar in die lig van die gesamentlike sinode in Julie, dink ek dat daar as antwoord op die tekort van predikante in die rigting gedink kan word. Bowendien sou dit 'n sigbare teken daarvan wees dat die nuwe provinsie Suid-Afrika^ nie altyd nog 2 provinsies onder 'n nuwe naam is nie...... Broederlik die uwe, ADIC ****** * Vroeër het die Morawiese Kerk in S.A. uit twee "provinsies" bestaan, S.A.Wes wat oorwegend uit 'Kleurlinge' bestaan het en S.A.Oos wat hoofsaaklik uit Xhosas bestaan het. Nou is dit een kerk met twee streke. Zeist, 20 Julie 1978 Morawiese Kerk in Suid-Afrika, Oostelike en Westelike Streekbesture. Liewe Broeders, Eerstens wil ek noem dat ek die ontwikkelinge in Suid-Afrika met groot belangstelling volg, ook die ontwikkelinge in die kerk. Ek was by voorbeeld opgewonde om in die Duitse vertaling van u kwartaallikse nuusbrief (wat self 'n groot stap vorentoe is op die gemeenskaplike pad.) te lees dat so baie gesamentlike projekte beplan word. Ek kyk uit na die volgende uitgawe, wat seker baie nuus oor die sinode sal bevat. (Terloops, is dit moontlik om 'n kopie direk toegestuurd te kry? Dit sou nie saak maak as ek 'n kopie van elke streekbestuur kry nie, want ek het baie ontvangers beskikbaar, o.a. Br. Meeuwes van die Zeister Zendingsgenootschap.) Deur hierdie brief wil ek nogmaals my hoop uitspreek om na Suid-Afrika in die nie te verre toekoms terug te keer. Ek het met opgewondenheid in die jaarlikse verslag van die Oostelike Streek gelees dat u die sending onder blankes oorweeg. omdat ek enige ervaring hiervan in Europa het, sou ek natuurlik graag in Suid-Afrika op soortgelyke wyse betrokke wil wees, nietemin sonder om my gedagte uit te sluit, wat ek in die brief aan die Westelike Streekbestuur (1.5.78) uitgespreek het. ('n Afskrif van hierdie brief stuur ek hiemee ook aan die Oostelike Streekbestuur.) Verder hoop ek om nie alleen lede van die kerkbesture, maar ook baie. kollegas en gemeentelede te ontmoet wanneer ons oor 2 maande na Suid-Afrika kom. Mag God julle almal seen! Broederlik die uwe, ADIC Agtergrond: By ons besoek aan Suid-Afrika in Oktober/November het ons ook Crossroads besoek. Ons het aan 'n familie wat illegaal hier gewoon het - hulle was van die Transkei - belowe om kiekies te stuur wat ons van hulle gemaak het» Die volgende brief, waarvan ek geen afskrif gehad het nie, is egter teruggestuur, alhoewel hulle 'n adres in Nyanga aangegee het. Blykbaar het hulle in Crossroads self geen pos ontvang nie») Zeist, 15 Januarie 1979 Geagte Mnr. M., Dit het regtig lang geduur om hierdie brief te skryf» Een van die redes is dat die kiekies wat ons wou stuur, nie goed uitgekom het nie, Ons was so teleurgesteld, veral oor die kiekie van u 10-jarige seun met sy selfvervaardigde draadmotortjie. Maar hierdie seun van u is ook die rede waarom ek nie kon vergeet om hierdie brief te skryf nie. Kon u horn vir hierdie jaar in 'n skool kry? Laat ons asseblief weet hoe ons op enige manier kan help. Dit was vir ons duidelik dat hy besonder intelligent is. Dit sou jammer wees as hy deur die lewe moet gaan sonder behoorlike opvoeding. Ons wens u en die gesinne in Crossroads Gods rykste seen vir die Nuwe Jaar. Ons dank God dat u nou in Crossroads mag aanbly.*., Hartelik die uwe, Ashley Cloete en gesin. (Ferdie, die skrywer van die volgende brief, was by 'n besoek aan Europa so onthuts oor die weggooimaatskappy aldaar, dat hy sy besoek kort geknip het om sy lot by die minderbevoorregtes in die Transkei en Zoeloeland in te gooi.) Kaapstad, 25 Mei 1979 Liewe Ashley en. Rosemarie, Ek het die (landbou) projek in Zoeloeland verlaat omdat dit onmoontlik was om geld te kry om die projek aan die gang te hou. Daar was ook probleme net die administrasie, sodat selfs die hoof-landboukundige moes weggaan. Dit is baie jammer dat dit so moes uitdraai, want suike projekte is broodnodig in hierdie land. Sedert eind Desember is ek nou weer terug in Kaapstad, aaar dit is so 'n ver-andering. Ek het baie gebaat by die ervaring in die Transkei en ek sal graag eendag daarheen wil terugkeer, Dit was natuurlik in die begin moeilik om as stadsmens aan die soort van isolasie aldaar gewoon te raak. Nou is ek weer terug en in volle swang nadat ek probeer het om relevante werk hier te kry. Dit was vreemd om al die ou vriende weer te ontmoet en vas te stel dat elkeen net sy eie klein dingetjie besig is. ........ Op 25 April het die groot macaroni- en meelfabriek Fattis en Moni's vyf werkers sender enige rode ontslaan. Vyf ander werkers het toe gegaan om te hoor waarom hulle kollegas ontslaan is, oaar hulle moes toe ook hu1 baadjie neem. Toe het 90 werkers van dieselfde firma besluit om ook die werk neer te lê. Die oorgrote meerderheid van die 90 was ,,Afrikane" en die 10 was ,Kleurlinge'. Jy kan jou seker indink wat dit beteken. Die Afrikane kan sonder meer na die tuislande teruggestuur word as hulle kontrakte gebreek word en hulle sal dan ook nie maklik weer werk kry nie. Ook omdat die 10 'Kleurlinge' was, is dit belangrik dat ons hierdie saak wen om 'n voorbeeld vir ander te stel dat ons saam kan staan vir ons menseregte. Tot dusver het baie groepe en organisasies hulle steun toegesS op verskillende maniere. Ek het nou besluit om N.N. wat as vrywillige voltyds met die Voedsel- en Inmaak-. vakbond nou iets meer as 'n jaar werk, te ondersteun. Die firma het tot nog toe altyd geweier om met die vakbond te praat. Daarom is dit so moeilik. Ons sal dankbaar wees as jy aan die mense oorsee van ons lot kan vertel, sodat ons meer ondersteuning kan kry ... Ferdie (Ek het intussen ook die volgende omsendbrief ontdek. Hier kan ek vasstel dat die gedagtes wat my later besig sou hou, ook hul kiem al in Suid-Afrika gehad het. 11. Van 0nderdrukte Tot 0nderdrukker Heel gou na my aankoms in Nov. 1975 om myself in Europe "permanent" te vestig, het ek besef dat ek nou nie meer tot die onderdruktes tel nie, maar tot die onderdrukkers. Ek het nou ook die (vir my wrange) vrugte van die uitbuiting as gevolg van 'n onregverdige ekonomiese stelsel gepluk. Die dilemma van kritiese blanke Suid-Afrikaners het ek nou self moes deurmaak. Die verkondiging van Gods woord het vir my so ongeloofwaardig geword. In 'n omsendbrief , wat ek vir Suid-Afrikaanse lesers bedoel het, maar nooit weg^gestuur het nie, het ek eind 1974 geskryf; „ ....Ek is veral dankbaar dat ons (i^osenarie en ek) ,,een van sin" in die belangrikste dinge is. So sien ons albei die as veel belangriker dat sy S.A. leer ken as om duur meubels te koop. So ook ons begeerte om ons lot by die armes en onderdruktes in te gooi. Terloops, hier in Duitsland het ek nog meer as ooit tevore 'n afsku aan materialistiese dinge ontwikkel. Van tyd tot tyd kon daar in my so 'n sterk Afrikadrang op dat ek voel asof ek dit nie 'n dag langer hier sal kan uithou nie. Die Here het my egter telkens uit die kerker van vertwyfeling gehelp... Die volgende briewe gee 'n aanduiding van my denke in hierdie verband oor die laaste paar jare.) Berlyn, 19.1.76 Broederuniteit, Bad Boll. Li ewe Broeders, Seeds 'n geruime tyd het ek al moeite met die welvaart in Duitsland. Ek het ook al lankal erken, dat 'n meer regverdige samelewing in my vaderland alleen tot stand kan kom, as die rykes bereid word om hul rykdom te deel. Op wêreldskaal behoort ek nou tot die rykes. Baie mense het al erken, dat 'n regverdige verdeling van die opbrengs van die aarde alleen tot stand kan kom wanneer die eerste en tweede wereld bereid is om van hul bevoorregte posisie afstand te doen Dit bevredig my nie, om op grond van 'n beter finansiele posisie 'n soort "Father Christmas" bv. teenoor my Suid-Afrikaanse broers te wees nie. Maar ook ten aansien van die moeilike ekonomiese posisie hier, was ek bly toe 'n voorstel tot finansiele inperking-oy die sinode gemaak was. (net jammer, dat dit nie van een van die salaristrekkers van die Broeder-uniteit gekom het nie.) Hopelik kan u my begryp, wanneer ek .... die salarisverhoging nie kan aanvaar nie. My vrou en ek vra, as dit nie anders gereël kan word nie, om dit dan in die bankrekening van die Hernnhutter Sendingshulp te stort. Met broederlike groete, ADIC (Ek het egter my oortuiging ten uitvoering gebring nie. So het ek die volgende brief wel geskryf, maar nooit weggestuur nie.) 'Uittreksel uit 'n omsendbrief aan vriende ... Maar laat my toe om ook van 'n bekommernis te vertel, iets waaraan ek nie gewoond kan raak nie: Hoe 'n hele samelewing opgebou is op hebsug (Eng. greed) en sy vennoot verkwisting. Mense wat alreeds meer as genoeg het, wil steeds meer hê en dan verkwis hulle wat hulle het op so baie maniere. Ek wil nie my inkomste, my besittings ens. met die rykes van hierdie wereld vergelyk nie, want my Meester het tot die uiterste toe arm geword. Ek bid tot .God om i-y helder wakker te hou, om altyd die arues van die aarde voor oë te he, want daar is deurgaans die versoeking van hierdie welvaartsamelewing. (Hatuurlik, as iemand wat in Suid-Afrika gebore en getoog is, is ek myself maar te bewus van die probleem arm en ryk, wat in Suid-Afrika min of meer met die rasseskeidinge saamval.) Daar het ek ook geleer hoe 'n ekonomiese stelsel onregverdigheid kan verewig. Miskien klink dit te polities. Dit is inderdaad polities, egter nie alleen met die Suid-Afrikaanse assosiasies nie, want dit is ook Bybels. Ek weet uit persoonlike ervaring Aat jy nie blank noct wees om hebsugtig en materialisties te wees nie. (Die enigste rede waarom ek graag studie meer as 10 jaar gelede gedoen het, was om promosie te kry en dus om meer te kan verdien.) Ek het nog 'n "bekering" nodig gehad om spaarsaam, egter sonder om materialisties te wees. Ek leer nog steeds baie. Ek vra God om ons meer en meer te leer om verantwoordelik om te gaan met alles, nie alleen met ons besittings nie, maar ook met ons tyd en met ons geld (Ek het toenemend besef dat ek alleen geloofwaardig in die kerk verder sou kan werk, as die kerk self geloofwaardig was. Leë woorde teen ons onregverdige ekonomiese stelsel was vir my nie genoeg nie. Aangesien die Morawiese kerk in verskillende lande werk en goed die wereldkaart weerspiëel met 'n minderheid christenen in Europa en Noord-Amerika, het ek voorgestel dat 'n "Uniteitsfonds" in die lewe geroep word. Dat ek as beginpunt die vermindering van ons eie salarisse voorgestel het, het wel deeglik teenkanting opgeroep.) Zeist, 26 Junie 1978 Zeister Zendingsgenootschap, Weekbericht. Liewe Br. Meeuwes, Hier dus my reaksie op die reëls in u weekberig. Die beknopte samevatting van ons gesprek (in die predikantebyeenkoms gee 'n ietwat misleidende indruk. Daarom wil ek graag duidelik maak dat ek die verminderde salarisse van die predikante... slegs as die beginpunt sien van 'n strategie om uit te breek uit die kringloop van stygende salarisse, stygende pryse en (jeug)werkloosheid. Ek koester die heimlike hoop dat baie mense uit ander beroepe hulle hierby sal aansluit om vrywillig 'n vaste persentasie vir meer geregtigheid binne die Uniteit te wil gee. Ek vind dit belangrik om hier te noem, dat die salarisse maar 'n klein deel van ons solidariteit met die ander provinsies van die wêreldwye Broederuniteit uitmaak. Ek dink ook aan die besetting van gemeentes m.b.t. werkkragte in ons provinsie en die hele kwessie van ons besit, kortom, hoe gaan ons om met dit wat God aan ons toevertrou het - rentmeesterskap in sy omvattende sin! Hartelike groete, ADIC (in die weke hierna het vir my selfs nog duideliker geword dat daar 'n nou verband bestaan tussen verantwoordelike rentmeesterskap en geestelike vrug. In hierdie tyd het dan ook die volgende brief ontstaan.) Zeist, 20 September 1978 Broederuniteit, Bad Boll Liewe Broeders, ........ Die kloof in ons denke het vir my nog duideliker geword (deur u brief van 16.8.78). Die verwysinge na spaargeld, wat ons opsy moet sit en die toetsing van .............. ons gawes vir sending en diakonie, het ons diep daaroor laat nadink hoe hierdie verwagting in duidelike kontras met die Bybelse boodskap staan. 'n Salariskonsepsie wat op sekerheid opgebou is, weerspreek tog duidelik die leer van Jesus. Ek vra myself al geruime tyd af, waarom so weinig aan geestelike vrug in die gemeentes te sien is. Ek dink nie alleen aan bv. Gal.5,22 nie, maar ook waarom jy byna nooit van mense hoor wat binne die raamwerk van die kerk tot geloof in Jesus Christus kom nie; inteendeel, gelowige jongmense meen dikwels juis om die kerk te moet verlaat. Deur my omgang met mense in ons gemeentes kom ek al meer onder die indruk, dat die welvaartsdenke die meeste daartoe bydra om die saad van die evangelic in rykdom en sekerheid te verstik (Lk.8,14). Nou het ons intussen (hier in Nederland) .... oor rentmeesterskap gepraat. Ook as ek die provoserende effek van my stellinge in ag neem, is ek geskok hoe maklik Bybelse verwagtinge gerasionaliseer word. Om verder in die Broederkerk (ja, hoegenaamd in die kerk) enigsins bevredigend te kan werk, verwag ons dat meer tekens opgerig word as bewys dat die Bybelse boodskap ernstig oorweeg word, insluitend die wêreldwye verdeling van God se gawes. Met hartelike groete, ADIC (In antwoord op 'n persoonlike brief aan Ds. Rolf Scheffbuch, wat na my mening te skerp teen die Wêreldraad van Kerke te kamp getrek het, het ek egter wel die noodsaak gevoel om ook 'n brief aan Geneve te skryf. Van die oorspronklike brief aan Ds. Scheffbuch het ek ongelukkig geen afskrif nie. Dit was waarskynlik met die hand geskrywe.) Zeist, 16.1 .79 Wêreldraad van Kerke, Geneve. Geagte Dr. Potter ens., Ek het die besprekings van die Sentrale Kommitee van die Wêreldraad van Kerke (in Jamaika) met groot belangstelling gevolg, naamlik deur middel van koerantberigte. Met u besluit om Dr. Lucas Vischer en Mev. Bam (onder andere?) te ontslaan, het u na my mening toegelaat dat 'n kans verby gaan, om te wys hoe ernstig u met ekonomiese regverdigheid is. Veral Wes-Europa het duidelike leiding nodig dat geld nie alles is nie. Sou dit nie 'n beter gebaar gewees het as die personeel van WRK vrywillig ingestem het om minder te verdien sodat die "belangrike" werk kan aangaan? Is dit hoegenaamd (in Jamaika) voorgestel? Persoonlik is ek nie so oortuig daarvan dat die werk van die WRK met so 'n groot personeel voortgesit moet word nie, maar juis op die huidige tydstip voel ek, dat 'n vrywillige salarisvermindering 'n veel beter getuienis sou wees. Dienswiilig die uwe, ADIC N.S. Miskien moet ek nog hieraan toevoeg, dat ek geprobeer het om my eie kerkmense (Morawiese Kerk) daarvan te oortuig - tot nog toe tevergeefs - dat dit huigelary is om te praat van deling met die derde wereld en terselfdertyd salarisverhogings sonder meer te aanvaar..... (Selfs voor die brief van 20 September aan die Broederuniteit in Bad Boll, het ek ernstig oorweeg om die diens in die kerk te verlaat. Hier het nie soveel die onvermoë van die kerk om met 'n goeie voorbeeld te wil voorgaan t.o.v. ekonomiese regverdigheid die oorheersende rol gespeel nie, as dat ek 'n bydrae wou lewer op bybelse grondslag. Ek het my toenemend afgevra of jy nie van buite die kerk effektiewer kan werk nie.) 12. Deurmekaar met die Politiek en die Politici Agtergrond: Na die gebeure van Soweto, Junie 1976, het oral krete in Duitsland en elders opgegaan dat die tyd van mooipraat met Suid-Afrika verby is. Omdat in daardie jaar 'n verkiesing in Duitsland uitgeskryf was, het ek myself beywer vir wat ek destyds as die enigste moontlikheid beskou het om Suid-Afrika 'n geweldige rasse-oorlog te bespaar. Weens 'n misverstand of onduidelikheid aan my kant, het die volgende ,,oop brief" alleen in die plaaslike kerklike Sondagkoerant verskyn. (op 12.9.76) ' Oop brief aan die Wes-Duitse politieke partye voor die parlementsverkiesing op 5 Oktober 1976 Berlyn, September 1976 Geagte Dames en Here, As Suid-Afrikaner is ek ongelukkig oor die voortdurendo onrus en die golf van inhegtenisneming in my vaderland. Ek wend my daarom aan die Duitse partye omdat ek meen dat die regering na die verkiesing van 5 0ktober 'n rol sal speel by die vraag of die onrus in Suid-Afrika sal toeneem of nie. Ek vra om begrip, wanneer ek my as buitelander in u verkiesing inmeng. Die Wes-Duitse regering - veral as hy dit saam met die VSA en Engeland doen — het die moontlikheid om Suid-Afrika tot 'n ommekeer van sy diskriminerende wette om te haal. Die Bondsrepubliek van Duitsland was in 1975 die grootste handelsvennoot van Suid-Afrika. '80. my oortuiging, behoort die partye hul houding so duidelik te stel dat die nuwe regering 'n handelsboikot t.o.v. S.A. sal uitroep, tensy die Suid-Afrikaanse regering 'n rooster voorlê, waarvolgens hulle die diskriminerende wette binne die volgende 5 jaar sal verander. Die regering het die voornene te kenne gegee het om Suid-Afrika van diskriminasie weg te laat kom. Dit sal egter leë beloftes bly as dit nie met datums verbind word nie. Ongelukkig kan jy nie met 'n mondelinge toesegging tevrede wees nie, want Mnr. Vorster het weliswaar (Oktober 1974) al gesê dat Suid-Afrika in 6-12 maande anders daar sal uitsien, maar daarvan is tot vandag vir die normale nie-blanke Suid-Afrikaner niks wesenliks te merk nie. Met steeds nog 'n groot mate van huiwering, vra ek daaron die Wes-Duitse regering om saam met die ander genoeiade lande, 'n boikot toe te pas as Suid-Afrika op 'n bepaalde datum nie 'n rooster vir die verwydering van sy rassistiese wetgewing voorle nie. Met so 'n dreigement moet egter ernstig orngegaan word. Ek is terdeë daarvan bewus, dat daarmee werkgeleentheid in Europa en in Suid-Afrika in gevaar kom, maar ek meen, dat ons dit aan die stakende studente skuldig is. Hulle bring groot offers, oindat hulle weier om eksamen te skryf in solidariteit met die ander in die gevangenisse. Hulle sal nou 'n hele skooljaar uoet herhaal. Kan ons by die offers wat daar gebring word, onverskillig bly? Nou wil ek die rede van my huiwering verstrek. Ek vind dit nie eties verantwoord om vanuit 'n relatief veilige posisie (hier in Duitsland) van ander offers te verlang nie. Ek meen egter dat ek in die belange van die jongmense van Suid-Afrika praat, ook al spreek ek nie direk namens hulle nie. Natuurlik hoop ek, dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering positief sal reageer en dat geen boikot nodig sal wees nie. In die hoop, dat u party op hierdie voorstel positief sal reageer en dat u koalisie-vennote sowel as die ander lande die nodige stappe sal onderneem ... ADIC P.S. 1, Afskrifte aan Mnr.Vorster, Dr.Genscher 2. Die feit van 'n rooster, nie noodwendig die besonderhede nie, hoef gepubliseer te word. Dit moet verhinder dat die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering nie onder onnodige druk geplaas word nie. 3. Tensy ek van u van die teendeel hoor, wil ek hierdie brief vir publikasie vrystel. Berlyn, 5 Desember 1976 (Adres) Geagte Mnr. Brandt, Nadat ek meegaande brief geskryf het, het ek gelees dat u u aanbod skriftelik aan Dr. Manas Buthelezi gemaak het. Hy ressorteer vir my ook tot die outentiese stemme van die onderdruktes van Suid-Afrika. Daarom het ek daarvan afgesien om die brief weg te stuur. Die verdere ontwikkelinge in die laaste weke, waar veral kritici van die regering uit die geledere van die kerk gearresteer was, Dr. Buthelezi en Dr. Beyers Naudé is seker alleen nog maar op vrye voet omdat hulle 'n te groot aansien in die buiteland geniet, maar hoe lang sal hulle by die huidige ontwikkeling hierdie voorreg geniet?) Die kreet van die ANC om die bewapende stryd in Suid-Afrika' voor te berei, sal seker nie vrede en 'n geordende oorgang tot demokratiese regverdige regering dien nie. Ek stuur hierdie brief nou nietemin weg, omdat die aangeleentheid vir my so dringcnd was. Ek meen, dat die dreigement van 'n ekonomiese boikot sowel as die uitvoering daarvan, as daaraan nie gehoor gegee word nie, die laaste moontlikheid tot 'n vreedsame oplossing van die probleme van Suid-Afrika verteenwoordig. Ontvang hierdie brief asseblief as hulpkreet namens die onderdruktes in Suid-Afrika. Ek is ook bereid om op eie koste na Bonn vir 'n gesprek te kom. As u dit sou wens, sou ek dankbaar wees, indien ook 'n gesprek met Mnr. Genscher gereël kan word, na moontlikheid op dieselfde dag. Kan u daarmee behulpsaam wees? Ek kan my egter ook goed indink, dat u veelvoudige take so 'n gesprek nie moontlik maak nie. Daarom som ek enkele argumente op, wat ek in die gesprek sou gebruik, wat vir 'n onmiddellike optrede van die regering van Wes-Duitsland spreek: (a) Ondersteuning van hulpkrete van Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies bv. van die Chris telike Instituut (vgl. Pro Veritate, Okt.1976 bl.14) - Cedric Mayson, redakteur van Pro Veritate is terloops verlede week gearresteer. Die aangeleentheid is dus nie alleen my idee vanuit Europa nie. (b) Vergemakliking van die Koord-Suid-Dialoog s In die oë van derde-wêreldlande moet die ekonomiese samewerking van Wes-Duitsland (en ander westerse lande) aan ondersteuning van die apartheid regime gelyk gestel word. Hier sou dus miskien ook 'n moontlikheid wees om die vasgeloopte Noord-Suid-Dialoog weer aan die gang te kry. 'n "Kruk-funksie" vir Mnr.Vorster - Die Nasionale regering (van Suid-Afrika) word deur sy regtervleuel gehinder om hervominge uit te voer. Miskien is Mnr. Vorster en ander dan juis bly om 'n verskoning te hê (ekonomiese druk uit die buiteland) om die nodige veranderinge teweeg te bring. In die hoop, dat hierdie brief by u 'n gunstige reaksie ontketen, Die uwe, ADIC N.S. 1. Na rype oorweging, meen ek, in hierdie stadium van publikasie af te sien. Dit sou jammer wees, as die saak deur oorhaastige publikasie geskaad word. 2. Die here "Vorster en Genscher kry elkeen 'n afskrif van albei briewe, telkens met 'n kort begeleidende brief. Berlyn, 7 Desember 1976 Die Eerste Minister, Republiek van Suid-Afrika. Geagte Mnr. Vorster, Dit is 'n geruime tyd sedert ek van my laat hoor het. Ek het egter reeds twee ernstige pogings gemaak, maar die briewe nie weggestuur nie. So bv. een op 5 Junie waarin ek my gedronge gevoel het om u en u regering te waarsku dat S.A. in die onniddellike toekoms "nie deur die Nasionale Party nie, maar deur vrees regeer sal word." In die naam van die lewende God wou ek Suid-Afrika waarku om spoedig van sy bose apartheidsweë om te keer. Nou bring ek u die tyding dat u "geweeg en te lig bevind is" (Daniel 5,27 - vergelyk ook my brief van Oktober 1972) Verstaan asseblief my meegaande beroep op Wes-Duitsland en die westerse lande om ekonomiese sanksies op S.A. toe te pas, tensy Pretoria 'n -program voorlê. waarin hy diskriminerende wetgewing teen 1980 wil verwyder, nie as 'n onpatriotiese daad nie; inteendeel, dit is 'n wanhoopsdaad van iemand wat sy vaderland baie liefhet en nie kan toesien hoe dit deur willekeurige inhegtenisname ens. in 'n bloedbad gedompel word nie. Natuurlik sal dit nog beter wees as u regering die inisiatief neem en sonder druk van buite aankondig dat u alle diskriminerende wette binne 4 jaar wil skrap. Ek hoop dat u merk dat dit vir my werklik in die eerste plek gaan om reg, geregtigheid en vrede vir alle mense in Suider-Afrika. Seënwense vir die Kersgety en vir die onbekende nuwe jaar, Die uwe, ADIC Berlyn, 22 November 1976 Geagte Biskop Buthelezi, Voordat ek die meegaande brief kon oorskryf, het ek gehoor dat Mnr. Brandt aan u 'n persoonlike brief geskryf het. Ek beskou u as meer kompetent om die mening en die standpunt van die studente duidelik te weergee, sodat my brief oorbodig geword het. In die tussentyd het ek egter gedink, dat dit vir u van belang sal wees, om te weet hoe sodanige mense probeer om regverdig'heid in Suid-Afrika so vreedsaam as moontlik tot stand te bring, Ek sou egter ook bly wees as u kortliks kommentaar op my brief kon lewer. Af en toe word ek gevra om oor Suid-Afrika te praat. Ek sou graag wil weet of u my mening deel. Terloops, het u al Mnr. Brandt se brief beantwoord? Ek dink dat nie dit nie 'n slegte idee sou wees as u 'n samevatting daarvan vir publikasie kon beskibaar stel. Ek wil probeer om getrouer wees in my voorbidding vir Suidelik Afrika. Mag God u in al u onderneminge seën. Dienswillig die uwe, ADIC Berlyn, 7 Desember 1976 Christelike Instituut van S.A. (afdeling Europa) Utrecht. Geagte Mnr.Kleinschnidt, Ek stuur aan u afskrifte van briewe aan Mnr. Willy Brandt. Sou u miskien in die naam van die Christelike Instituut lets soortgelyks in Bonn kan vra? lin as u ook die EKD (Evangeliese Kerk in Duitsland) kon vra, om iets meer te doen as om telegramme te stuur, sou ons ook al 'n stuk verder wees. "We must strike while the iron is hot" (Ek het geen goeie Afrikaanse vertaling gereed nie.) Maar miskien het u daarbenewens ook nog die moontlikheid, in verbinding met Suid-Afrikaners in Holland, om die saak by die regering daar aanhangig te maak. Miskien het u ook adresse van C.I.-lede in ander EG lande .... en die volgende stap is natuurlik VSA (Carter!) Kanada (na die boikot van Afrikaanse lande by die Olimpiese Spele!) en Japan (wil homself na die Lockheed-skandaal rehabiliteer...) Dit is sekerlik stout van my om u met soveel werk op te saal, maar ek vertrou, dat dit vir u ook 'n prioriteit is om Apartheid eens en vir altyd te vernietig.... ADIC (Ek moet toegee, dat die ophitsende toon van die bogenoemde brief my nou, in 1979, nie meer behaag nie!) Berlyn, Desember 1976 Broederuniteit, Bad Boll. Liewe Broeders, Die politieke ontwikkeling in S.A. het my daartoe beweeg om aktiewer te word om die verwydering van die diskriminerende wette tot stand te bring. Saam met ander Suid-Afrikaners het ek op die stigting van 'n "Foreign Front for peaceful change in the Republic of South Africa" besluit. As hoofdoel moet geld die verwydering van diskriminerende wette tot 1980...... Hierdie brief is nooit gepos nie. Brief aan Suid-Afrikaners of mense wat in S.A. gewerk het. Berlyn, 17 Desember 1976 Liewe Broeders en susters, ...... -Ek sou graag julle mening wou hoor oor die stigting- van 'n 'External Front for peaceful change in South Africa.' Dit gaan in sy wese om 'n "lobby", wat met die handelsvennote van Suid-Afrika en hul vakbonde onderhandelinge sal voer met die doel om Pretoria op die verwydering van diskriminerende wette tot 1980 te beweeg. Die Front behoort geen bepaalde politieke rigting te volg nie, alhoewel die doel uitgesproke polities is. Die hoofdoel: die bereiking van 'n regverdige, oop samelewing in S.A. tot 1980. Ek het reeds private pogings in hierdie rigting aangewend, maar ek meen dat jy getalle en instellinge nodig het om gehoor te word. Ek sal julle eersdaags opbel, om julle menings hieroor te hoor ... Dit sou ook goed wees as die "Suid-Afrikaners" wat hierdie brief kry, onderling hul idees oor my voorstel uitruil en ander voorstelle maak hoe ons ons lydende broers en susters in S.A. kan help. Hierdie brief gaan aan... (name) S.P.D, Bonn 22 Desember 1976 (Adres) Geagte Mnr.Cloete, In opdrag van ons partyvoorsitter Willy Brandt dank ek u hartelik vir die briewe van 8 Nov. en 5 Des.1976. Met groot bolangstelling het ek daarvan kennis geneem, dat u in die probleem van die politieke ontwikkeling van Suidelik Aifrika, insluitende die diskussie van die Noord-Suid-Dialoog besonder geinteressoerd en betrokke (Duits; engagiert) is. Ek het van u argumente met groot belangstelling kennis geneem en ek is heeltemal seker, dat dit nog lang sal duur voordat 'n opiossing gevind sal word wat vir alle betrokkenes bevredigend sal wees. Die partybestuur van die SPD het honself in die laaste tyd intensief besig gehou met hierdie probleme, en ek voeg ter infomasie 'n kopie by van die stuk ,,Die politiek van die SPD vir Suidelik Afrika" Met vriendelike groete, (get.) Gerhard 0. Kleipsties ******* Neugnadenfeld, 14 Februarie 1977 Liewe Ashley en Rosemarie, .......... Jy wil dus 'n ,,lobby" - "External Front for peaceful change"- begin. Ek het lank hieroor nagedink, wat eintlik in Suid-Afrika te bereik is. Al hoe mer koo. ek tot die oortuiging, dat ekonomies en polities in Suid-Afrika die koeel deur die kerk is. Te veel vreende kapitaal is in Suid-Afrika om ernstige stappe in die rigting van ekonomiese geregtigheid te kan verwag. Het jy al gesien hoe verbete Europeane hul kapitaa1 verdedig wanneer dit bedreig word? Polities verwag ok, dat na die onafhanklikheid van die Transkei en na 'n waarskynlik suksesvolle Turnhalle-konferensie, 'n hoogmoedigheid as gevolg van die sukses sal opkom, sodat na argumente nog minder as ooit tevore geluister sal word. In hierdie situasie sien ek net een moontlikheid tot vreedsame verandering; dat toenemend die versoening onder die kruis van Jesus hier en in Suid-Afrika verkondig en uitgeleef word. Dit is 'n proses wat gelei word deur die ingryping van Gods Gees. Jy moet jouself eers tot bepaalde groepe wend, om deur jou voorbeeld, en deur tekens van versoening op te rig, 'n groter uitwerking te bereik. My voorstel is dus; moenie baie tyd met politiek en ekonomiese kwessies mors nie, maar moedig in plaas daarvan versoening aan. Die Morawiese Kerk in Suid-Afrika sou as vennoot 'n besonder geskikte voorwerp wees. Ek stel 'n soort aksiegroep „ Morawiese Kerk Internasionaal" voor, wat hom met vrae en metodes van versoening en vredesnavorsing besig moet hou. Sulke werk van versoening is belangrik nie alleen nou in die tyd van onderdrukking van swartes nie, maar ook later in die tyd van 'n swart regering. Nog Afrika nog Europa het 'n regverdige samelewing, So 'n aksiegroep moet bv. blanke lede van die Morawiese Kerk in Suid-Afrika aanmoedig om die swart broer menslik en as gelyke te behandel. Ook informasie is nog dringend noodsaaklik... Kortom, ek beskou vredestigting op die basis van die boodskap van versoening vir belangriker as politieke of ekonomiese proteste... Mag God julle seen! Eckhardt en Cathy Buchholz Samevatting Om verskillende redes het die hele brief-aktiwiteit niks konkreets opgelewer nie. Die reaksies op my voorstel was nie besonders entoesiasties nie - „ die koeël is deur die kerk" was 'n tipiese reaksie, sodat ek nie bemoedig was om daamee verder te gaan nie m.b.t. Suid-Afrika. By die tweejaarlikse sinode van ons Kerk in Europa in 1977 is wel goeie voorstelle gemaak, maar die opvolging daarvan was gebrekkig. Kort na die sinode is ons na Nederland beroep, wat die Suid-Afrika kwessie vir my tydelik op die agtergrond geskuif het. Johannesburg, 7 November 1978 Die Redakteur, Rapport, Johannesburg. Geagte Heer, Met belangstelling, dog ook met 'n goeie stuk verlasing, moes ek in die Rapport (25.0kt.1978) oor die algemene sinode insake die verbod op gemengde huwelike lees dat die (na my mening) speel met woorde" - ongeoorloof, uiters ongewens of hoogs afkeurenswaardig - as 'n belangrike stap beskou word vir die afskaffing van die verbod op gemengde huwelike. My belangstelling spruit veral uit die feit dat ek direk by die saak betrokke is. Die onderhawige wet dwing my om in die buiteland te lewe. Meriigeen sou seker kan verwag dat ek denkbaar behoort te wees vir sulke pleidooie, want ek en my Duitse vrou het hierdie land lief ten spyte van alles wat ons as gevolg van die land se beleid moes deurmaak. Dit spyt my egter om te moet se dat ek eerder verontwaardig is oor hoe die gevestigde kerke en kerkelike organisasies besig is om die bybelse boodskap af te water.. On.drie voorbeelde te noem; (a) In plaas van o sonder omhaal van woorde die flater van die verlede (om genoemde wet aan te vra) ruiterlik te erken en nou op die afskaffing van die wst aan te dring, hou die hoogste gesag van 'n kerk hom besig met 'n semantiese oefening (sien bo) (b) Nadat die gewetens van die Afrikaners mettertyd aan die slaap gesus is oor die kwessie van Distrik Ses, stel die Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging die voorbeeld om daar te wil bou. (c) Daar word deur kerklike leiers voortgegaan om die kanker van ons samelewing te behandel, sonder om na die wortel te gaan. Kerklike leiers doen bv. 'n beroep op 'n humane opruiming van Kruispad (Crossroads) sonder om van die oorsaak trekarbeid of die nog dieperliggende oorsaak, selfsugtigheid en winsbejag melding te aaak. Toe my vrou en ek 5 jaar gelede na ons wittebroodsreis in my yaderland na Europa teruggekeer het, het ons met baie hoop uitgesien na veranderinge hier te lande, Na 'n aanvanklik groot verwagting, keer ons nou na ses weke terug met die vasstelling dat vir die swart man in Suid-Afrika niks beduidends verander het nie, selfs al kon ons hierdie keer legaal die land binnekom, selfs al het die betrokke Minister van my 'n ere-blanke gemaak. (Ons was toegelaat om as gesin 'n kompartement in die trein te deel.) Inderdaad het ek myself begin afvra of versoening tussen die rasse nog moontlik is. Dit sê ek nie sender droefheid in my hart nie. Ek het vroeër hierdie jaar in 'n ander koerant die hoop uitgespreek om na hierdie land terug te keer om vir versoening te werk.* Die versoening waarvan ek praat kan egter alleen op die basis van reg en geregtigheid tot stand kom. Hiervan is min sprake nóg in die Nasionale Party se konstititionele voorstelle nóg in die PFP se nuwe beleid, want by almal gaan dit blykbaar slegs om die behoud van voorregte cp grond van ekonomiese onregverdigheid. Nietemin keer ons nie sonder hoop na Europa terug nie. Die besorgdheid van baie (Suid-)Afrikaners oor die wanpraktyke t.o.v. die gewese Departement van Inligting gee vir my nuwe hoop dat ook die leuens en bedrog wat gepaard gegaan het met die verbod op Gemengde Huwelike,-groepsgebiede en i.v.m. die willekeurige inhegtenisname, verbanning en swartsmeerdery van eerbare burgers van hierdie land soos Ds.Beyers Naude, (om maar enkele dinge te noem) aan die lig sal kom, sodat reg en geregtigheid kan geskied. Meer nog, ek het die lewende hoop dat die regering nou ruiterlik die foute van die verlede sal toegee en bereid sal word om saam met die verteenwoordigers saam te kom... * Dit is waarskynlik 'n verwysing na 'n brief aan die Star. Ek het in hierdie manuskrip egter alleen een van 29 Junie 1979 afgedruk. 13. SOLIDARITEIT MET GEVANGENES Agtergrond Kort na ons aankoms in Nederland in September 1977 het ek gehoor dat ons vriend Chris Wessels vir die tweede keer gearresteer was. 'n Brief uit Suid-Afrika het ons tot aksie geroep, toe hy na enkele weke nog steed in die gevangenis was. Ek kon aan die samestelling van die twee briewe wat deur die Centrale Raad van die Morawiese Kerk in Nederland aan Mnr. Vorster gestuur was, betekenisvol meewerk. Alhoewel ek my heeltemal daarvan bewus was, dat sekere pos in Suid-Afrika nie by die adressaat uitkom nie, het ek tog gemeen dat ek my vryheid van meningsuiting moes gebruik, al is dit alleen om die S.A. owerhede te toon dat mense soos Nelson Mandela en Beyers Naudé nie vergeet word nie (in my voorbidding was en is ek egter by verre na nie so getrou om vir die onregverdig veroordeeldes te bid as ek dit sou moet wees nie.) Die poskaart aan Mnr. Mandela is veel later weggestuur, omdat ons bang was dat ons moeilikheid op ons voorgenome basoek aan Suid-Afrika sou kry. Rijswijk, 22 Oktober 1977 Aan die Eerste Minister, Republiek van Suid-Afrika. Mnr. B.J. Vorster, Pretoria Mnr. die Eerste Minister, Die Evangeliese Broederkerk (Morawiese Kerk) in Nederland, geverteenwoordigd deur die Centrale Raad en die Zeistse Sendingsgenootskap het met groot ontsteltenis en diep verontrusting kennis geneem van die berig, dat Ds. Chris Weasels, predikant van de Morawiese Kerk in Port Elisabeth, vir die tweede keer gearresteer is, sonder dat ook hierdie keer 'n beskuldiging teen hom ingebring was en hy ook nie voor 'n regter gebring was nie. In teenstelling tot sy vorige arrestasie is nou selfs nie eers die plek van sy aanhouding bekend gemaak nie, sodat hy . nog regsbystand nog enige besoek kan ontvang. Teen hierdie skending van menseregte protesteer ons met klem. Ons dring by u en u regering daarop aan Ds. Chris Wessels met spoed vry te laat of hom ten minste te verhoor, sodat reg aan hom kan geskied. Ons verwag, dat u opdrag sal gee dat die piek van aanhouding direk aan sy familie bekend gemaak word, Namens die Zeistse Sendingsgenootskap Th.J. van der Peyl, onder-voorsitter S.O. Meeuwes, algemene sekretaris * Rijswijk, 30 November 1977 Aan .....Mnr.B .J. Vorster Mnr. die Eerste Minister, In ons brief van 22 Oktober 1977 het ons van ons ontsteltenis en diepe verontrusting oor die arrestasie van Ds. Chris Wessels, ......... vertel. Ons is nou enersyds verheugd om te kon verneem dat Ds. Wessels uit die gevangenis ontslaan is. Andersyds meen ons dat ook hierdie keer geen beskuldiginge teen hom ingebring kon word nie. Daarom betreur ons - hoe bly ons ook is met sy vrylating - die wyse waarop die arrestasie plaasgevind het. U bereidheid om Ds.Wessels te laat ontslaan, is egter 'n enkele daad wat ons 'n bietjie hoop gee op 'n verbeterde toekoms vir sowel Suid-Afrika as vir ander volke. Ons meen immers dat u besluit om as regeringsleier 'n beslissing te herroep wat juridies ongegrond is, 'n voorbeeld kan wees vir ander regeringsleiers in ons wêreld. Deur middel van hierdie skrywe wil ons u dan ook vra om ondersoek te laat instel na die oorsake van arrestasies en/of verbannings van andere mense in u land. Miskien is die standpunte van mense soos Dss. Beyers Naudé en Manas Buthelezi moeilik te begryp omdat moontlike realisering van hul voorstelle ekonomiese offers van u land sou vra. Ons meen egter dat "blank Suid-Afrika" sowel die geleentheid as die moontlikheid het om 'n voorbeeld te wees vir die ryk ,eerste wêreld' deur vrywillig die armes te laat profiteer van die ekonomiese en sosiale voordele in u land. Namens die Centrale Raad van die Bvangeliese Broederkerk in Nederland (in persoonlike gesprekke op ons besoek in Suid-Afrika in 1978 het geblyk dat dit vir Eerwaarde Chris Wessels veral ten laste gelê was, dat hy in sy hoedanigheid van voorsitter van die Afhanklikes Konferensie" van die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke vir politieke gevangenes middele besorg het. Dit strek Suid-Afrika egter ook nie tot eer dat geweier is om aan hom in die gevangenes 'n Bybel te verskaf.) Zeist, 24 April 1978 Liewe Br.Beyers-Naudé, Laat my eers toe om myself aan u voor te stel. Ek was destyds een van die studente van die Morawiese Seninarie in Kaapstad toe u in 1973 ons Jeugbyeenkoms oor "Youth Power" toegespreek het. Ek het al 'n hele paar weke die oortuiging om aan u 'n brief te skryf, maar ek het eenvoudig nie daartoe gekom nie. Ek weet nie of hierdie brief by u sal uitkom nie, want ons het die ervaring gemaak dat sekere briewe onderskep word, dat geld nie aankom nie. (Ek sluit egter niks by hierdie brief in nie, alhoewel ek graag 'n blyk van ondersteuning sou wou gee.) Nietemin, ek wou alleen maar sê, dat ons nie ophou om aan u te dink en vir u en die ander mense, wat op onregverdige wyse gestraf word nie, te bid nie. Ek glo dat God die gebede hoor en verhoor, en 'n deel van die antwoord is seker ook die geleidelike (toegegee veels te stadige) verandering van gcsindheid by sommige regeringsmense. Ek moes lag toe ek onlangs in die Star lees dat Connie Mulder die IFP van paternalisne beskuldig. Dit is seker iets om voor dankbaar te wees, dat die regering begin te besef, dat hulle saam met die ander bevolkingsgroepe die toekoms van die land moet bespreek. Miskien sien ons nog binne afsienbare tyd 'n nasionale konvensie. Maar miskien moet ek nog iets oor myself vertel. Ek is met 'n Duitse vrou getroud en op die oomblik predikant van die Broederkerk in Utrecht. Ek hoop dat dit in die nie so verre toekoms nie, moontlik sal wees om permanent na S.A. terug te keer, waar ons hoop om aan die versoening tussen die rasse mee te werk. Ons kry nou al so 'n bietjie oefening daarin, want ons gemeente bestaan uit 90% swart mense, met 'n klein groepie elk van Blankes, Hindoestane (indiers) en Chinese. 95% van die gemeente is van Surinaamse afkons, en hulle moet nogal heelwat diskriminasie in die samelewing deurmaak. In die gemeente self het ek met omgekeerde rassisme te doen, waar veral die Blankes en die Hindoestane aan die kortste end moet trek. Ek weet nie hoe dit met u tyd gesteld is nie, maar miskien vind u 'n moontlikheid om by geleentheid te antwoord. Broederlike groete, ADIC ******* Zeist, Julie 1978 Mnr Nelson Mandela, Robben Eiland. Geagte Mnr. Mandela, ..... Ek wens u Gods rykste seën toe met u 60ste verjaarsdag' met die gebed dat ons u spoedig sal kan eer as leier van ons land, ons nie as kleur-linge, blankes en swartes nie, maar verenig as een volk van Suid-.Afrika (Azanië). Ek is ernstig besorg oor die neiginge by blank Suid-Afrika om al meer die antwoord in wapengeweld te sien, maar ook is ek ontstem dat die ANC (waarvan ek u nog steeds as die leier beskou) alleen die geweerloop beskikbaar het om met Mnr. Vorster te praat. My gebed vandag is veral dat Suid-Afrika 'n rasse-oorlog bewaar sal word. Die uwe, ADIC **** Zeist, 9 Februarie 1978 Die Staatspresident, Republiek van Suid-Afrika Hooggeagte Dr. Diederichs, Ons het hier van die ter dood veroordeling van 'n Mnr. Jantjies gelees. Volgens die berig wat hier verskyn het, het hy sy werkgewer doodgeslaan omdat lg. geweier het om hom vir gedane werk te betaal. Verder was ons indruk dat 'n stuk selfverdediging op die spel was, want die werkgewer was ontevrede dat hy, 'n plaaswerker, so 'n eis stel. Omdat ek self 'n Suid-Afrikaner is en van die toestande op sommige plase weet, kan ek my so 'n situasie goed voorstel. In die lig van die gegewe omstandighede, vind ek die doodstraf eenvoudig te hard. Daarom vra ek u beleefdelik om u invloed en mag te gebruik om die straf te laat hersien. By voorbaat dank. Patrioties die uwe, ADIC REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-APRIKA Staatspresidentswoning PRETORIA. 17 Februarie 1978 Adres, Geagte Ds.Cloete, Baie dankie vir die ontvangs van u skrywe van 9 Februarie insake die ter dood veroordeling van mnr. Jantjies. Hierdie aangeleentheid is nog nie onder my aandag gebring nie, maar wanneer die betrokke stukke aan my voorgelê word, kan u verseker wees dat hulle met die grootste objektiwiteit en onregverdigheid behandel sal word. Mag dit u goed gaan daar in verre Nederland. Die uwe, (get.) N.Diederichs (Ons Suid-Afrikaners is tog siek. Waarom moes ek dadelik vermoed, dat die oorlede Staatspresident my vir 'n blanke predikant gehou het? Ek het nietemin ook nagelaat om navraag te doen wat verder met Mnr. Jantjies gebeur het.) ***** 14. PRO JUSTITIA Kommentaar: Die waarheid van Buchholz se stelling (vg. brief bl.27) dat die westerse moonthede hul kapitaal met alle mag sal verdedig, was vir my in 1978 veral bewys deur die ondersteuning van 'n korrupte regime in Zaire. Maar veral die manier waarop westerse lande na 19 Oktober 1977 gereageer het- nadat soveel swart organisasies en mense monddood gemaak was - het die bohaai rondom die dood van Steve Biko as leë geblaf aan die kaak gestel. Die onthullinge van die wanpraktyke by die Departement van Inligting het egter weer baie harte vatbaar gemaak vir argumente, sodat ek weer die moontlikheid sien om vir vrede in Suid-Afrika te werk Een voorwaarde hiertoe is seker dat die hart van die Afrikaner gewen word om vir reg en geregtigheid vir alle mense in Suid-Afrika in te tree. Zeist, 15 Julie 1978 Die Redakteur, South African Digest. Geagte Meneer, Ek wil hiermee my waardering uitspreek, dat ek „Comment & Opinion" nou byna 4 jaar gratis ontvang. Alhoewel ek 'n vooroordeel (Eng. bias) ten gunste van die Afrikaanse of Nasionalis-georienteerde nuusblaaie opgemerk het, dink ek dat u aan ons 'n goeie diens gelewer het. Ek moet egter toegee dat ek deur die jare 'n skuldige gewete gehad het, omdat ek nie daarvoor hoef te betaal nie. Die wanpraktyke waarin beamptes van die Departement van Inligting verwikkel was, het aan my duidelik gemaak dat ek inherent deel uitmaak van 'n basies onregverdige stelsel, want ek sou ewe goed 'n intekeningsgeld kan betaal. Ek is seker daarvan, dat in plaas van Panorama en Comment & Opinion gratis aan mense oorsee te stuur, kan ander meer nuttige doeleindes daarmee gefinansier word (bv. meer geld vir swart (plurale) opvoeding tot beskikking te stel.) Ek sou graag verder Comment & Opinion wil ontvang want ek beskou dit as waardevol, maar stuur rny asseblief hiervoor 'n rekening. As dit nie moontlik is nie, imoet ek u ongelukkig vra om my van u poslys te skrap. Ek hoop egter, dat dit vir u moontlik sal wees om vir meer geregtigheid in hierdie verband te kies. Dienswillig die uwe, ADIC (Hierop is nie gereageer nie. Selfs die terugstuur van kopieë van Comment en Opinion het nie gehelp nie. Ek kry die blad nog steeds gereeld toegestuur) Zeist, 15 Junie 1978 Die Redaksie, Vrij Nederland. Geagte Heer/Dame, As 'n sg. ,,Kleurling" uit Suid-Afrika ... , sal u wel begryp dat ek die artikel oor Suid-Afrika in die uitgawe van 5 Junie van Vrij Nederland met groot belangstelling die hand geneem het. Die artikel oor Suid-Afrika is m.i. veels te negatief en "bowendien vir my as Suid-Afrikaner nie eerlik nie. Het Nederland nie iets meer positief aan te bied nie, as om sy emigrante aan te noedig uit Suid-Afrika terug te keer of ander te ontmoedig om daarheen te gaan nie? En dit nadat bv. 'Kleurlinge' hul huise moes ontruim sodat onder andere Nederlandse inmigrante huisvesting kon kry? om 'n land te verlaat wanneer dit ekonomies daar nie meer goed gaan nie, is m.i. net so verfoeilik as om gasarbeiders uit die land te wil skop nadat jy hulle gebruik het. Nie dat ek teen emigrasie uit Suid-Afrika sonder meer is nie, hoor? Daar is in Suid-Afrika nog veels te veel buitelanders wat meen om hulle bestaan daar te moet reg-verdig deur nog rassistieser te wees as die Boere, Ek het wel 'n voorstel: Dat i.p.v. dat Nederlanders wat railitere diens by die Suid-Afrikaanse weemag docn, hul Nederlandse paspoorte verloor, alleen suike Nederlanders hul paspoorte mag behou, wat bewys lewer dat hulle aan die versoening tussen die rasse saauwerk, Die artikel oor die konferensie van morele herbewapening 10 Junie) ... het my wel verbaas. Ek het die indruk dat die verslaggewer nie heelteiaal begryp het waarom dit by die morele herbewapening gaan nie. Het hy verstaan, dat morele herbewapening agter die skerms vir versoening tussen strydende partye werk en vir regverdigheid aan gediskrimineerde minder- en meerderhede intree? Ek lees nerens van die hoop van swart vakbonde van Suid-Afrika om as volwaardige werkers erkenning te kry of van die risiko wat die swart predikant Kanodereka in Rhodesie/Zimbabwe op hom geneem het in 'n poging om versoening en regverdigheid vir alle rasse te bewerkstellig...... Samevattend: mense uit die ryk Noorde en uit die arme Suide wat deur God geinspireerd is om self- en gemaksug in Europa en Noord-Amerika aan die een kant en armoede en korrupsie in die derde wereld aan die ander kant te bestry, moet saamwerk vir 'n menswaardige bestaan van almal. Ek het die konferensie in Freudenstadt persoonlik bygewoon. (God het ons omsendbrief op 'n besondere manier geseën. Ons het reaksies gekry van mense aan wie ons glad nie die brief gestuur het nie, o.a. van die Anti-Apartheid Beweging in London en die ANC in Lusaka.) Zeist, 21.2.79 Anti-Apartheid Beweging, Charlottestraat 89, London, Liewe Deborah, Dankie vir die materiaal wat u aan my gestuur het, vergesel van die brief gedateer 5 November 1978. Ek is jammer om nou eers te antwoord, Dit was heel interessant vir my om te hoor dat julle ook kersgroete en boodskappe van ondersteuning aan politieke gevangenes, aangehoudenes ens. organiseer. Ek dink u moet hierdie deel van u werk meer beklentoon, om ook van die anti-beeld ontslae te raak wat oor die jare opgebou is. Inderdaad, ek soek meer en meer na moontlikhede om Afrikaners (Boere) oor te wen. Ek stel meer belang in regverdigheid en versoening vir al Suid-Afrika se inwoners as in die ondergang van enige regering. Ek dink dat "Muldergate" die Afrikaners meer bereid maak vir sinvolle dialoog as ooit tevore. Die slegste ding wat jy op hierdie tydstip kan doen, lyk vir my , is om die blanke Suid-Afrikaners verder in die hoek te dryf of te isoleer. Ek stem wel saam met protes as 'n nodige middel om verandering teweeg te bring, maar dan verkies ek om na die oorspronklike betekenis van die woord te gaan. (Latyn: pro-testare = om vir iets te getuig.) Ek stel dus i.p.v. ,,anti-apartheid" 'n strategic van pro geregtigheid, pro versoening voor. Mag ek dit met 'n voorbeeld verduidelik. In plaas van om alleen emigrasie na Suid-Afrika aan te val, stel ek die kwalifisering van emigrante voor; hoe moeilik dit ook mag wees, moet u dan probeer om van u regering 'n toesegging te kry, waarvolgens van emigrante voortaan bewyse verwag sal word, dat hulle in Suid-Afrika tot geregtigheid en versoening van die rasse bydra, anders sou hulle van hul (Britse) paspoorte afstand moet doen... &&&& Zeist, 20 Februarie 1979 ANC Kantoor, Lusaka. Liewe Reg, Dankie vir u brief van 9 Desember 1978. Die sorg wat uit u brief straal, het my diep beweeg. Ek moet toegee, dat ek dit nou eers deeglik gelees het, omdat u brief net voor Kersfees aangekom het, toe ek die pos heel oppervlakkig gelees het. U het gevra of ek Horst Kleinschmidt ken. Ja, van wel, maar alhoewel hy in Utrecht werk, slegs enkele kilometers van Zeist, was dit nogal moeilik om met hom in sinvolle kontak te bly, omdat by dikwels buitenstedig is. Ek moet egter ook sê dat ek nie met sy meninge gelukkig is nie. Hulle is nie identies met die van die Christelike Instituut, waarvan ek myself nog steeds as 'n lid beskou. Natuurlik, hy het sy publieke menings waarna ek verwys, namens die ANC gegee, maar ek twyfel of baie mense in Europa tussen die ANC en die CI as twee afsonderlike entiteite kan onderskei. Ek verskil met die ANC oor die gebruik van geweld. Alhoewel ek heel goed die frustrasies van begaafde jong swartes kan begryp - om liewer hul lewens op die spel te plaas sodat geregtigheid verkry kan word- meen ek (en dit is terloops ook die standpunt van die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad van Kerke, Hammanskraal 1978) dat alle moontlikhede van geweldloosheid. uitgeprobeer moes geweaS het, voordat vergeldende geweld oorweeg mag word, (ek beskou ge-institusionaliseerde geweld as ewe verwerplik!) Die ontwikkelinge in Suid-Afrika - ek verwys na die Inligtingsaak - gee aan ons na my mening die gulde geleentheid om te probeer om sinvolle dialoog met Afrikaners aan die gang te kry. Nietenin wil ek my posisie duidelik stel: Ek beskou myself as 'n radikale rewolusionêr - ek wil vir God se rewolusie veg, die rewolusie van ainal-insluitende (nionc-nd-uitsluitende) liefde, wat geworteld is in en deur Jesus beliggaand word. (Die Latynse woord vir wortel is radix. waarvan radikaal afgelei is Jy vra my of ek ANC-materiaal ken? Ek beskou die ,,Charta" as 'n uitstekende basis vir 'n toekomstige Azaniese samelewing. Maar terwyl jy hier 'n versoenende houding kan vasstel, moet gekonstateer word dat die uitgawes van Sechaba• beduidend van hierdie houding afwyk. Alhoewel ek erken dat lyding nodig mag wees om ons doel van 'n oop, regverdige samelewing te bereik, twyfel ek of die ANC in sy huidige vom hierdie doel sal behaal... (Volgens nog heersende wette in Suid-Afrika, mag die oorspronklike brief en sy antwoord nie hier afgedruk word nie, maar uit my antwoord op hierdie brief, kan 'n mens tog heelwat aflei.) * Sechaba is die orgaan van die ANC. . Zeist, 16 Maart 1979 Liewe Reg, Dankie vir u spoedige antwoord ... U hartstogtelike pleidooi vir begrip van die gewapende stryd het my diep beweeg, meer as enige diskussie oor die onderwerp tot dusver... Ek stem ten volle met u saam dat sinvolle dialoog plaas kan vind tussen gelykes en dat daaron die beperkinge, verbannings en gevangeneming van ons leiers (en organisasies) opgehef moet word voordat betekenisvolle dialoog kan begin. Ook weet ek dat die oneerlikheid van regeringsmense nie nuut is nie; nogtans dink ek dat dit die eerste keer sedert 1948 is, dat feitlik die hele Afrikaanse pers 'n duidelike stand punt teen die onregverdigheid van hul regering inneem. Dit het my beϊndruk, dat ten spyte van alles wat u moes deurmaak onder die Nasionale regering, u blykbaar nie verbitterd is nie. Ek beskou dit as 'n belangrike faktor vir betekenisvolle dialoog. Nou wil ek graag nog op enkele punte van u brief reageer: (a) Alhoewel ek 'n naam (van 'n land) nie onbelangrik ag nie, beskou ek dit as geen prioriteit in hierdie stadiun van ons stryd vir geregtigheid in ons vaderland nie. (b) Ek stem wel met jou saam dat geregtigheid met die ems van Christus beveg moet word, maar teologies moet ek beswaar aanteken teen die indirekte verbinding van Sy uitdrywing van die geldwisselaars uit die tempel met die bewapende stryd in Suidelike Afrika. Jesus het die verteenwoordigers van die Romeinse onderdrukkers uit liefde vir (die huis van) Sy Vader teengestaan. As vryheidsvegters vervuld sou wees met liefde vir alle Suid-Afrikaners (Paulus het aan die christene in Korinthe geskryf dat hulle liggane tempels van God is.) sou ek bereid wees om hul vurigheid indirek as 'n geveg vir die Here te erken. Tot nog toe kon ek hiervan nog nie oortuig word nie, inderdaad, u is die eerste persoon van die ANC wat ek ontmoet het, waar ek nie haat en bitterheid teenoor mense kon vasstel, wat georienteerd is na die huidige regering. In baie gevalle het ek haat opgemerk teenoor enige blanke Suid-Afrikaner. (Omdat ons ook 'n mooi stuk lyding onder die apartheid-regime moes deurmaak, kan ek natuurlik goed die gevoelens van hierdie mense begryp.) Dit bring my by die kern van die saak. Ek sien geen ander moontlikheid om bevry te word van bitterheid en haat nie, as deur die reddende geloof in God, wat ek in Jesus Christus ervaar het. Alhoewel ek heeltemal die opinie van iemand kan respekteer, wat sê dat hy/sy aan die bewapende stryd wil deelneem uit liefde vir alle Suid-Afrikaners, dwing my toebehorigheid aan en liefde tot my Heer, sowel as my vurige begeerte na vrede en geregtigheid my, om die vrugbaarste metode daartoe op die (lang) duur te soek. ADIC (Die 19-jarige skrywer van die volgende brief, was een van die leiers van die skoolboykot in Atteridgeville in 1976. Na meer as 'n jaar van boycot het hy met ander leiers nagegaan wat die resultaat daarvan was. Hulle het wel kragtig hul standpunt na vore gebring, maar die prys wat sy generasie moes betaal, was ontsettend hoog; Behalwe die honderde dode', het die wegval van dissipline demoraliserend gewerk. Misdadigheid het toegeneem, tienderjarige neisies het swanger geword, die gebruik van verdowingsmiddels het toegeneem. K. het besluit om 'n terug-na-skool aksie te begin. Maar dit het weer daartoe aanleiding gegee dat sy lewe van die ander kant bedreigd was. Alhoewel hy sedert 1976 byna nooit op skool was nie - hy het ook 'n mooi tyd in die gevangenis deurgebring - het Kgati die Matriek-eksamen in die eerste klas afgelê. Die volgende brief bewys dat hy die beginsels waarvoor hulle hard geveg het, nie prysgegee het nie.) Theol. Seminary, 23.3.79 Liewe Ashley, Rosemarie en Danny, ... Soos ek vroeër , geskryf het het ons vantevore die Th.B.-graad van Rhodes beoog, maar eers verlede week het ons besef dat ons Seminarie nog nie aan die Universiteit Rhodes aangeslote is nie vanweë regeringsinmenging. Ons sou dus slegs skyngrade na ons studie: ontvang. Hulle het voorgestel dat ons direk na die Universiteit Rhodes gaan, maar na versigtige nadenke het ons (die 10 eerste- en tweedejaarstudente) die Seminarieraad daarop gewys dat ons seminarie in 'n unieke posisie is en dat ons die geleentheid moet aangryp om weg te breek van die blanke magstruktuur, om ons mense te lei, om duidelik te maak dat ons nóg Blanke - nóg Bantoe»-onderwys, maar liewer 'n opvoeding vir Suid-Afrika" wil hê. Ons het aangetoon dat ons primêr daarin belang stel om predikante te wees, omdat ons glo flat God ons hiertoe geroep het 'n dat erkenning (van ons studie) nie by die algemeen aanvaarde norne berus nie, maar veel meer by die gemeenskappe wat ons sal dien. Kortom, ons wil betrokke wees in 'n relevante bediening, en daarom wil ons ons studies so gestruktureerd sien dat dit relevant, op die situasie gerig en van ' n hoë standaard is. Ek kan nou met vreugde aankondig dat die Akademiese Raad ons punt ingesien het en gister na 'n vergadering van 4 ure het hulle vir 'n relevante en kontekstuele (op die situasie gerigte) opleiding gestem. Die Seminarieraad, wat volgende Woensdag vergader, moet nou uitsluitsel gee. As hulle instem sal ons kursus as volg daar uitsien; Ou Testament met Hebreeus as byvak; Nuwe Testament met Grieks as byvak, Kerkgeskiedenis; Theologie insluitend Swart Teologie; Etiek; Pastorale studie insluitend Sielkunde, Sosiologie, Antroplogie om Zoeloe met veel tyd vir praktiese werk. Hierbenewens word in alle vakke Afrika-studie ingebou. Dit beteken, dat voortaan die Seminarie relevante predikante in die reel sal oplewer in plaas van as die uitsondering. Ek swem in vreugde. by die besef dat ek nie tot na my opleiding hoef te wag om 'n relevante predikant te wees nie. Ek begin nou op kollege. Ek weet nie of jy besef het dat dit die mees radikale verandering in die geskiedenis van opvoeding in S.A. is nie. Ek is bly dat God my vergun het om hiervan deel te wees. Part 2 Corruption at Home Affairs: Msimang May 2007 (FFA at St Stephens) Date sent: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:59:29 +0200 Dear Mss Mgxashe and Mzamane Thanks for the invitation to the stakeholders meeting at Scalabrini coming Monday. Unfortunately I would possibly not be there for the beginning of the meeting, but I will try to join you as soon as I again if at all possible. I would like to share a concern which I picked up this week at my visits to the Nyanga offices: I am very concerned how things have deteriorated there. It looked very much like the bad days last year at the foreshore premises when corruption was rife because of the apparent bad management. Is there any reason for returning to the state of affairs to have so many different nationalities on any given day. Could you not return to the situation to have certain days for certain countries. That should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody there. I also would like to repeat my earlier suggestion to let all asylum seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers). After my personal experience and experience with a lady who wanted a paper for rectification of her own document and a paper for her daughter I suggest that workers should be equipped to do all transactions and that a full-time receptionist be appointed to make appointments for the personnel. It would drastically decrease the number of people in Nyanga if one would not first have to come to make an appointment like for a certain worker and then come again for the actual transaction. How often I tried to phone there with the phone only ringing. And when I did get through to the gentleman responsible for the other transaction, he was invariably not in his office. If I did not bump into Ms Yolisa Msamane by chance, we may not have been able to get another paper in stead of a soiled one. (It is inexplicable to me why Cedric (or somone else cannot also do the rectification of the date of birth of the lady I tried to assist.) Furthermore, some people who have come from afar, are sent home and asked to return the next day without having any proof that they have been there. This situation is of course a result of the scores of people the office has to handle on any given day. I do hope that my suggestions will receive your serious attention and that these and other measures could be implemented so that the number of refugees and other people at your Nyanga offices could be drastically reduced and spare your workers unnecessary stress. Yours faithfully Ashley D.I. Cloete, Posters for a new film could be viewed for the premiere on 23 September 2008, around Hansie Cronjé, South Africa’s fallen cricket captain: “How do you start over once you have betrayed a nation’s trust?”, was highlighted as the premise of the drama. The story had sent shock waves throughout the nation and the cricketing world when one of the most beloved public figures had admitted to having contact with Indian bookmakers and accepting gifts from them. The film honestly portrays the emotionally drained and depressed, broken Hansie and his journey from the brink of career suicide. The role of his Christian faith in his remarkable recovery made his story incredibly inspiring and redemptive. Dear David, The letter below - it might have been an earlier version of it - when I thought that I should respect your request not to go to the press with our complaint that nothing seems to be done to alleviate matters at the Nyanga Home Affairs Offices. In fact, it seems to be getting worse and worse. As you may have heard from your colleague at the DHA office, people who were standing in the queue in Nyanga were beaten by security officials with their batons. Police were called in who did nothing about the matter. I phoned Richard Sikakane who knew nothing about this incident, only about a brick thrown at a security official. You appreciate that things could really get ugly again if nothing is done to reduce the numbers of people waiting on any given day. We are consulting with other stakeholders what should be done. We salute all those who have spoken in favour of the human rights of foreigners! As someone who has been positively impacted while in exile during the previous era because of the prevailing laws, I state categorically on behalf of the NPO Friends from Abroad that we are committed to serve all those lovingly who came to South Africa for any reason whatsoever. It is therefore with shame that we have to acknowledge that guests from other countries are treated in a very undignified way at the Cape Town Home Affairs Offices, both in Barrack Street and at the refugee centre in Nyanga. (We have reason to believe that it is no different in other cities.) The disdain and disrespect to foreigners is especially crass at the Nyanga Refugee Centre. Even the officials there are aware that clients have little hope to be served if they do not cooperate by paying bribes. There are cases known of people who have been going there repeatedly for up to two months to get their document (with a validity of only three months!) extended. Without this document they are illegal, refused service at hospitals and they have tremendous difficulties to enroll their children in schools. Prospective employers could be fined, making them very vulnerable and because of this they become the victims of corruption at all levels. The treatment of refugees at the Nyanga Refugee Centre is very much reminiscent of the way the previous government treated Black women, especially those from the 'homelands' who came to the cities to be with their husbands. I take liberty to speak on behalf of those stakeholders that have been attempting to serve the guests from other countries in a loving and hospitable way. We were encouraged two years ago when the Provincial Director publicly vocalised the intention of making the Western Cape an example to fight xenophobia and corruption. In our dealings with Home Affairs officials we have however been completely frustrated ever since. Almost all suggestions we have put to them to improve matters were either completely treated ignored or implemented piecemea1. E"en measures which improved the service to the foreigners tremendously and which brought down the corruption levels significantly, were later changed without any good reason given, returning to the present system in which corruption can thrive. Numerous security officials have been appointed - it is call crowd control - in stead of decentralising the work or appointing more workers to do the actual work. With appeal to those in authority - and especially now ahead of our elections - to come up not only with a commitment to human rights, but also to demonstrate a willingness to be held accountable for service delivery to all foreigners. This must include dignified treatment to refugees. As a South African I want to stand tall again. This is a time for political leaders to make clear that we are committedly against all forms of xenophobia - and let all of us practice philoxenia, love for the stranger in our gates. This is not only biblical, it is morally the right thing to do. In December I took Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk along on 2 December 2008 to a meeting of the think tank. Along with Braam Hanekom (PASSOP) and David Jacobs we have been looking at ways in which corruption at Home Affairs can be addressed and fought. Another cog in the wheel of renewed determination to fight the corruption and ineptitude of Home Affairs was a phone call from Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk who had been working with me and a few others on this issue that was so widespread. He linked us to Advocate William Fisher, Leo Hattingh and their law firm of committed Christians on the Joostenberg plain. They put their services at our disposal free of charge. (We are also thankful for the UCT Law clinic to which we could send refugees for assistance.) I am determined to continue the fight for justice to our friends from abroad. New Turmoil in Government On Monday 6 April 2009 the National Persecuting Agency (NPA) announced that 16 charges of fraud and corruption against Mr Jacob Zuma, the President of the ANC, are dropped. He was touted to become the country's next leader. (There were all in all 783 charges of this nature stacked against him which resulted in more prayer than in the previous two elections. More than ever the ogre of a situation like Zimbabwe drove many to prayer who would otherwise not have done so. At this time the Dalai Lama was refused a visa for attending some conference which was to promote the World Cup. When Archbishop Tutu and ex-President as other Nobel Prize winners indicated that they would not attend the event in protest, it had to be concelled. The refusal of the visa to the Dalai Lama caused not only hightlighted human rights, but it also brought the level of corruption in the ruling party, the ANC, who had to dance to the tune of the People's Republic of China. That country dictated the terms behind the scenes, leading to the visa refusal. On 21 April 2009 I was suddenly summoned to the Discipling House. M, one of the workshop ladies had been beaten rather seriously by an security official on 16 April at the Nyanga Home Affairs. The marks on her legs were still clearly visible. I took her to the nearby police office in Mowbray to lay a charge of assault against the official even though she did not know the name of the gentleman. She was however able and willing to identify him there on the spot. A few weeks later she was required to come to the Nyanga Police Station for the investigation. Because she was afraid to go alone, I accompanied her, peparing to take along Pastor John Kabenda, a teacher from Rwanda who had been operating as a taxi driver. They had to get their car written on the name of a South African because they could not get a taxi permit because neither he nor his wife had a South African driver's licence. For the use of his name, and the facilities like insurance etc., they had to pay R1000 per month. I found this amount rather exorbitant in the light of their financial situation, volunteering to accompany him to the HIV/Aids sufferer to try and negotiate (If the man died, they would lose their car.) Without my having to accompany pastor John Katende, they were able to retrieve their car, but the charge against the Home Affairs security official turned into quite a night mare, which pointing very much to collusion between Home Affairs and the police. When I went to John to make sure that they get their car back on their own name, he had another urgent case to report. One of his church members, a taxi driver, had been arrested on Table Mountain Road on May 1 on rather flimsy grounds. The police constable suspected that he had a fraudulent international driver's licence. The email below gives more details about the incident. On Thursday 7 May 2009 Mediatrice, a genocide victim from Rwanda had to report at the Nyanga offices for her asylum appeal. On that day I could not accompany her. (Rosemarie had started teaching in the Youngsfield Military Camp where a thousand or so refugees had been placed after the xenophobia attacks of the winter of 2008. When the camp was rounded up later in the year, we took her into our home. At the end of the year space came free for her in our Discipling House just when we needed the accommodation for the wedding guests of our two children that would marry in January 2009.) We decided that Sheralyn should go along to Nyanga. Friends From Abroad NPO Registration Number: 067-478 P O Box 326 Century City 8001 Tel. 021 4613745 / 0738175888 7 May 2009 To: Senior Superintendent Swanepoel As an organisation we would register our dismay at the flagrant disregard of foreigners' human rights. South Africa's constitution is the bedrock of our society. In the light of recent events, we would like to register a complaint. Mr Frecian Eliah, a legally documented foreign national, was man-handled, wrongly arrested and illegally detained. Mr Eliah was not informed of the grounds of his arrest. These events occurred around 10.00h on Friday May 1, 2009 on Table Mountain Road. Mr Eliah fully obeyed the instructions of the officer. The compliance of Mr Frecian Eliah was deemed insufficient and he was bundled into the police van. At the charge office Mr Frecian Eliah surrendered his cellphones and cash (R1000). The International Driver's licence given to the officer was not handed over at the charge office, whereabouts unknown. Mr Frecian Eliah was not afforded the opportunity to consult with legal representatives or his employer. Mr Frecian Eliah's absence at church on Sunday raised concerns about his safety. Given the history of treatment meted out to foreigners', the first port of call was the police station. Pastor Kadende and the owner of the taxi visited Mr Frecian Eliah at the police station. At this stage Mr Frecian Eliah was not yet informed of the basis of his arrest. The taxi owner was then instructed to remove his vehicle form the police yard. How it got there is a mystery seeing that the driver was in the police van. On inspection of the vehicle, it was found that several items were missing. On Monday, 4 May Mr Frecian Eliah appeared in court and to his horror found that he was charged with fraud. At the court case he was released on bail pending further investigation. I, Rev Ashley Cloete, accompanied Mr Frecian Eliah and Pastor Kadende to the charge office on 6 May, to question the modus operandi of the police officers, intending to lay a counter charge. We subsequently decided to follow the route of writing this letter to the highest authority at the station. The failure of the officer to hand over the driver's licence is a cause of great concern. Mr Eliah is now rendered unemployed and liable for goods missing in the vehicle. As Friends from Abroad we are seriously concerned about the blatant disregard of human rights and natural justice by the SAPS members concerned. We would appeal to you to rectify this matter at your earliest convenience. These latest events force us to take drastic action in the form of laying a counter charge for wrongful arrest, theft and violation of human rights. Given our recent history of xenophobia, it is incumbent upon us all to uphold the constitution and all the values entrenched in it. Yours faithfully, Ashley D.I. Cloete (Chairman) Dear Director van der Ross, Director van der Ross,  Cape Town Central Police Station. Dear Sir, Referring to my email below, may I remind you that I have not received any phone call from you as you promised almost two weeks ago when I visited you. To: Senior Superintendent van der Ross Dear Sir, I received a reply from your interim predecessor about my letter below suggesting that cases are pending for other offences by Mr Frecian Eliah. It has now come to my attention that something else happened with the same refugee. but he was the party who suffered. In a car accident his vehicle was badly damaged after being hit by another driver who drove through the red light. Miraculously Mr Elijah survied although and he admiitted to hospital and discharged the next day. I would like to meet you at your earliest convenience to see if something can be arranged. As a South African who enjoyed wonderful hospitality during a period of voluntary exile (because of being married to someone from the wrong race) I am appalled by the treatment meted out to blacks from other countries and the way injustice they have to experience. Yours faithfully, (Rev.) Ashley D. I. Cloete ??? Eviction from Maitland ??? unhealthy condition Dear Mr Simons, I hereby wanted to put you in the loop with what has been happening regarding a complaint and our repeated request for a stakeholders meeting. After quite a few emails to one of the workers I now finally got a reply that she had to pass the simple request of April 4 for a document to be scanned and emailed to your Pretoria to her managers Akos and Vujani.  this procedure seems to me unnecessary tedious. My repeated request for a stakeholders meeting is connected to the possible escalation of corruption. I have approached Mr Ricahrd Sikakane repeatedly to see that the secutiry officials get name tags. (This measure, possibly  more than any others brought the corruption down in 2009 after it had spiralled to astronomical proportions. I furthermore remind you that Rev Barry Isaacs and I went to speak to the neighbours in Maitland after the stakeholders had been called to be informed of the pending eviction. Our intervention helped to achieve the postponement of the eviction. As stakeholders we find it unacceptable that we are only called in when there is a crisis. Furthermore, we wonder why the director cannot assure that the name tags which stamped out corruption in 2009 cannot be given to the security officials again. Trusting that this letter will get your urgent attention and thanking you in anticipation for taking the necessary steps, Ashley D.I. Cloete (Friends from Abroad) Legalisation or Decriminalisation of Prostitution As the 2010 World Cup approached, indications started coming in that the Sex 'industry' was attempting to cash in with an effort for the legalisation or decriminalisation of Prostitution. Departing from hesitancy to forward emails, I do it this time. We think that if we don't speak out clearly now, we could become party to allowing to get another God-dishonouring scourge on our statute books - perhaps abomination would be the more biblical word. The comparison is not fully to the point, but it should be noted nevertheless that we as a notion would have benefited greatly to get a warning against the easy bail law when it came into our statute books in the mid-1990s. The escalation of crime which is no almost impossible to contain, is the sad legacy. We will be lodging our objection against the decriminalising of along those lines. We are privileged as a nation that this time round we are forewarned - with the looming massive increase of unemployment - of what could happen to our nation - and especially to destitute females - if pimps and prostitution would be given almost free reign. Ashley (and Rosemarie) I got to know Pastor Errol Naidoo in the PAGAD (People against Gangsterism and Drugs) era as a part of the Cape Peace Initiative (CPI) when many churches stood together to counter the threat of the Islamization of the Western Cape. I started to move closer to Errol in 2006 during the run-up to the law to legalise same sex marriages. (He was to all intents and purposes the evangelical spokesperson and advocate for a biblical stance on Homosexuality.) In a sequel to the 2006 preparation to the law to legalise same sex marriages Errol Naidoo, left the pastorate at His People Church to launch the Family Policy Institute. At that time our friend Achmed Kariem ran into problems at SACOB because of his faith. He had already been retrenched in principle, feeling that he should not fight it illegally although he had a strong case for unfair dismissal. He just wanted to get a fair deal in severance. I introduced Achmed to errol who was praying for a journalist to work alongside him. Achmed was the perfect fit after his work with SACOB in and around Parliament. On 15 May 2008 the Institute took occupancy of its new headquarters at Parliament Chambers, 49 Parliament Street, Cape Town. This was as near to Parliament as one could wish, just outside the gates of Parliament, a venue where I could pop in from time to time when I did research at the nearby South African library or other occasions in the CBD. Here I would have a chat with Achmed and/or Errol At the beginning of 28 March Dienstenbureau Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken An Attempt to legalize Prostitution In mid-2009 a serious effort was launched to legalize Prostitution before the World Cup. Heading the Family Policy Institute, Pastor Errol Naidoo asked Christians to write letters of protest to the government. Pastor Errol Naidoo wrote the following in an email on 30 July: Dallene Clark, the lead researcher on adult prostitution at the SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) informed me they received thousands of submissions from concerned citizens across the country – the majority of whom selected the option that totally criminalises the sex industry. According to her, the SALRC will now embark on a long and complicated process which must acknowledge every single submission before making recommendations to the Minister of Justice. Ms Clark estimates the earliest the Minister of Justice can expect to receive the final recommendations for legislation on adult prostitution is early 2011. If this is correct, it will mean a crushing defeat for those lobbying for legalised prostitution for the 2010 World Cup. And more importantly, it represents a significant victory for women and children! From: Africa Christian Action Friday , Jun 19, 2009 at 4:20 PM Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves!   There seems to be some confusion surrounding the legislative process on prostitution.   The current debate is whether prostitution should be decriminalised or remain criminalised in South Africa.   The SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) is currently hosting workshops around the country on the issue of adult prostitution. They are tasked with bringing laws that have been on our statute books in line with our current constitution.   The submissions the SALRC receive from the public will form part of their recommendations to the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development. (This is the first part of the process).   Following this, a draft Bill will be tabled by Parliament and the public will again be invited to make written and oral submissions on the Adult Prostitution Bill. (Second part of the process)   Many concerned citizens have been asking, “Won’t the ruling party simply railroad the Prostitution Bill through Parliament like they did with the same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation”?   The difference between prostitution and same-sex ‘marriage’ is that the Constitutional Court ruled that denying homosexuals the right to marry was "discriminatory" based on the "sexual orientation" clause in the Bill of Rights.   That meant Parliament had to bring the ‘Marriage Act’ in line with the constitution. Prostitution, however, has no constitutional protection and is not considered a human right.   The Constitutional Court ruled on 10 October 2002 that prostitution and running brothels are still illegal. The ruling dashed the hopes of brothel owner Ellen Jordan, who spent millions of rands in her court bids to get the laws thrown out.   When Jordan, one of her employees and a prostitute were arrested for contravening the Sexual Offences Act of 1957 in 1996, Jordan took the case to the High Court.   The High Court found that (1) sections of the law that render sex for money a crime were unconstitutional, and that (2) legislation outlawing brothels should be upheld.   Jordan then took the rulings to the Constitutional Court to have the first one confirmed and the second overturned. However, the Constitutional Court upheld both rulings.   The first ruling outlawing prostitution and the second outlawing brothel-keeping were both upheld by the Constitutional Court.   The Court found that outlawing prostitution did not infringe on the rights to human dignity and economic activity.   http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/constitution/prostitution1.htm   As a result, the total criminalisation of prostitution including all aspects of the sex industry is very much in line with the constitution.   That means, the only way prostitution will be decriminalised in South Africa - is if those who oppose it - remain silent and uninvolved.   For the sake of all vulnerable women and children in South Africa, I implore you to draft a submission to the SALRC before 30 June 09.   A summary of the SALRC proposals are available at the following link. http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp0001-2009_prj107_2009sum.pdf To help you answer the 9 questions on the total criminalisation option in the SALRC questionnaire – you may request the Family Policy Institute’s submission which contains all the facts drawn from research on prostitution at info@familypolicyinstitute.org   You may email your submissions to Dellene Clark at dclark@justice.gov.za or Carine Pienaar at capienaar@justice.gov.za before 30 June 2009. A masssive blow was inflicted on the gay lobby when Ellen Jordan, a former brothel owner became a follower of Jesus in April 2009. I received an email once again from Pastor Errol Naidoo of the Family Policy Institute on Thursday 12 November 2009. Yesterday (Wednesday 11 Nov, 09) I had a remarkable discussion with Ellen Jordan from Gauteng. What’s so remarkable about that, you ask? Well, only that Ellen Jordan is the brothel owner that took her case to legalise prostitution all the way to the Constitutional Court and lost – bankrupting herself in the process. The cost for her failed attempt was in the region of R3, 2 million. However, Ellen Jordan informed me that she had a miraculous experience with the Lord in her hospital room and gave her life to Jesus Christ! In case you missed it, that’s an ex-lesbian, drug addict, brothel and homosexual club owner who was responsible for leading the fight to legalise the sex industry in South Africa - now confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour! To God be the Glory! Ellen wants to join the fight against legalised prostitution including “recruiting women for Jesus because she recruited women for the dark side in the past”. She is a powerful ally to help us expose the lies and deception peddled by SWEAT & the liberal media. I need to get Ellen down to Cape Town to strategise the way forward. Because we are fighting a public relations battle as well as a moral one, we must formulate a press statement informing the South African public about Ellen Jordan’s experience and her powerful testimony about the horrors of the sex trade. She is well known to the South African media because of her bold attempts to challenge the Sexual Offences Act in 2002.  Ellen’s legal challenge and the subsequent Constitutional Court rulings are recorded in my research document on prostitution on pages 8 – 14. As we boldly step out in faith to address prostitution and the criminal activity that feeds off it, God will bless and strengthen our efforts and provide significant interventions like Ellen Jordan. JP Smith and several key senior officials from the City of Cape Town will discuss the Prostitution Task Team on 24 November 09 at the Civic Centre. Marge Ballin and I will attend this meeting. Appendices ADDENDUM Nie vir -publikasie; 1. As gevolg van die aftrede van Mnr, Vorster as President, het ek besluit om die publikasie vir 'n nog onbepaalde tyd uit te stei. Ek doen hiermee ook 'n beroep op diegene wat al manuskripte besit, om daarmee verantwoordelik om te gaan. My doel is mos om aan die Suid-Afrikaanse nasiewording te werk, waarby die blanke Afrikaansprekende bevolking ingesluit moet wees. 'n Oorhaastige publikasie van die materiaal sou myns insiens sodanige proses alleen maar skaad. 2. Ek voeg hiermee nog enkele briewe by, wat ek meen, ook insluiting regverdig. (Die eerste brief het ek in 'n ou maandbrief van die gemeente in Berlyn, waar ons werksaam was, ontdek. Die brief self is waarskynlik in die begin van 1977 geskryf.) „ Nadat hy (Broer Mbalana) in die naam van die vlugtelinge en die skoliere wat gehelp kon word, ons gedank het, gaan hy voort: '0ns kon net met 'n groot klaskamer begin, vanweë die duur boumateriaal. In twee skofte word die kinders voormiddags en smiddags onderrig...' En verder: ,Julle geld het baie gedoen, om die nood van die vlugtelinge te verminder. Ons kon hulle met melk en sop versorg. Natuurlik het jy baie geld nodig om soveel mense te help. Die toestand is nog steeds verskriklik, byna hopeloos. Binne 'n kort tydsbestek het 80-90 kinders van honger gesterf. Ons vra onsself af hoe die posisie in die komende winter sal wees. Die regering doen byna niks nie, maar julle weet mos, ons mense is in hulle oë derdeklasmense. Ons het dringend nodig; (a) 'n Melkversorgingstelsel (b) 'n Sopkombuis (c) Water-dromme (d) Komberse vir die winter. .... Ons is dankbaar vir die hulp wat uit die buiteland kom, maar ook vir die enkele blankes hier, wat hulle oor die noodtoestand ontferm. Jy sou tot die slotsom kan kom dat dit 'n vloek is om 'n swart mens in hierdie land te wees, want as blankes onder suike omstandighede sou moet leef, was seker lankal iets gedoen, Eietemin loot ek God vir sy Heilige Gees, wat dit vir ons moontlik maak om ten spyte van hierdie toe— stande nie vertwyfeld te raak nie, maar om Horn ons Here Jesus te aanbid." Hier volg nou 'n algemene nuusbrief wat ek 'n paar maande na my terugkeer na my eerste buitelandse verblyf in Suid-afrika geskryf het; Kaapstad, 8 Desember 1970 Liewe Vriende, ... Ek is waarlik bly om hierdie geleentheid waar te neem om weer 'n keer aan al my liewe vriende oorsee te skryf en om hulle miskien daanaee 'n bietjie te verbly, ook al het ek self nie juis vreugde om op hierdie manier aan die Kapitalistefees ook Kersfees genoem -eoo te doen nie. Ek moet dadelik om verskoning vra, want vir somaige van u sal dit beslis hard wees om te moet aanhoor dat ek die ,,Christfest" (= Christusfees) 'n kapitalistefees noem. U moet egter weet, dat jy dit uit ''n christelike oogpunt in tL,i*nie ?? anders kan beskryf nie. Vir my is die grootste tragedie dat die heel arm mense in hierdie tyd so bedrieg en uitgebuit word. In geval die een of ander persoon meen dat ek intussen kommunis geword het, moet u weet dat ek nog steeds kommunalis is, maar dit het niks met kommunes te maak nie hoor! Ek dink dat jy in S.A. 'n kommunalis moet wees, want nie alleen het die groot indeling na velkleur, wat ooreenkom met 'n sosiale indeling, sy ernstige gevolge nie, maar ook binne die groepe het hierdie kapitalistiese sisteem sy rampspoedige uitwerking. Wat die politieke situasie betref, is dit genoeg om te sê: onveranderd. 'n Verandering ten goede is nouliks te verwag. Ek wil egter hier herhaal wat ek oorsee altyd gesê het (maar nou met nog meer oortuiging as destyds); 'n Verandering kan alleen van God korn, want ons het massa-hartoorplantings nodig. (Ek bedoel natuurlik 'n duursame verandering) So 'n wonderwerk van verandering van 'n hele volk beskou ek egter as heeltemal moontlik. Sê die Bybel nie "by God is alle dinge moontlik" nie?... Ashley Persoonlike Jaarverslag 1979 ... Ons weet dat die Heer aan ons gewerk het en ons hoop dat hy ook deur ons kon werk om die gestalte van Christus meer sigbaar te maak in ons gemeente... Die jaar het vir ons met 'n krisis begin. Verder medewerking in de Breodergmeente... hoegenaamd binne die raamwerk van 'n geinstitusionele kerk, het op die spel gestaan. Opverskillende vlakke – plaaslik, landelik, internasionaal en ekumenies – het ons die gevoel gehad dat ons nie op ons plek was nie... Maar ons het geweet dat ons vanweë die gebrek aan werkers nie weg kon gaan nie. ... My voorstel om 'n salarisvermindering van 25% aan te vra om 'n kwart van my tyd vir my Honger na Geregtigheid in Suid-Afrika te kan bestee, het tot 'n ernstige probleem gelei... 'Heel begrypelik het die Broederraadslede, almal Surinamers, gevoel dat ek hulle nie ernstig genoeg geneem het nie. Inderdaad het ek my te veel met Suid-Afrika besig gehou. Konkreet het dit tot uitdrukking gekom by die probleem van die aanleer van die taal. Ek het gevoel dat my Nederlands goed genoeg was... Op die vraag waarom ek blykbaar teenstribbel, het ek toegegee dat ek steeds gehoop het om spoedig na Suid-Afrika terug te kan keer. Hierdie skuldbelydenis het egter my verhouding met die Broederraad alleen maar vererger ... In December I took Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk along on 2 December 2008 to a meeting of the think tank. Along with Braam Hanekom (PASSOP) and David Jacobs we have been looking at ways in which corruption at Home Affairs can be addressed and fought. Another cog in the wheel of renewed determination to fight the corruption and ineptitude of Home Affairs was a phone call from Hannes van der Merwe of Straatwerk who had been working with me and a few others on this issue that was so widespread. He linked us to Advocate William Fisher, Leo Hattingh and their law firm of committed Christians on the Joostenberg plain. They put their services at our disposal free of charge. (We are also thankful for the UCT Law clinic to which we could send refugees for assistance.) I am determined to continue the fight for justice to our friends from abroad. At home posters for a new film state could be viewed for the premiere on 23 September 2008, around Hansie Cronjé, South Africa’s fallen cricket captain: “How do you start over once you have betrayed a nation’s trust?”, was highlighted as the premise of the drama. The story had sent shock waves throughout the nation and the cricketing world when one of the most beloved public figures had admitted to having contact with Indian bookmakers and accepting gifts from them. The film honestly portrays the emotionally drained and depressed, broken Hansie and his journey from the brink of career suicide. The role of his Christian faith in his remarkable recovery made his story incredibly inspiring and redemptive. On the personal level, we were tentatively excited when we met Charles and Joan America at the service of Calvary Chapel on Sunday, 28 September. We had actually intended that to be our quiet valedictory occasion to the fellowship which we had secretly written off because of the constant denominational undercurrent. Other churches were frequently criticized and no mention of what was happening in the Christian world outside the confines of Calvary Chapel. We would ask for an appointment to speak to Pastor Demitri Nikiforos. At this occasion on Saturday 4 October, we shared our reservations, agreeing to disagree, without however leaving Calvary Chapel completely. We did not want to jeopardise our own efforts towards unity of the Body of Christ in the City Bowl. In the contact with Manfred Jung with regard to the publishing of this book I wrote the following lines to him, with a copy to Bennie Mostert. Would the Pretoria occasion not be a good place to read an adapted version of the declaration that should ideally include Jews? I paste the 2004 version below once again for Bennie's sake, but I would like to see something added along the following lines in the light of the thousands (perhaps even millions?) of Muslims (and Jews) that have been coming to the Lord in recent months: ... Coming from a situation in our country where an oppressive, demonic race policy was defended from the Bible, we empathise however with those Muslims (and Jews) who are hurting because they feel themselves deceived by religious leaders. We call on South African Christians and followers of Jesus everywhere, to refrain at this time from any trace of triumphalism. In stead, we call on them to embrace Muslims (and Jews) lovingly who are still searching after the truth. Let us thrust away our petty doctrinal differences which have been hindering millions down the centuries to believe in Jesus Christ and pray unitedly that many will come to faith in Him who is the way, the truth and the Life - also those from other religions. Bennie responded that I reduce the declaration to two paragraphs on Muslims and Jews and then come and read it at the event in Pretoria. This I was still attempting to do when a letter was published on Saturday ??? At our prayer meeting in Bo-Kaap on Monday 6 October we heard that Eric Hofmeyer was appointed as Youth Pastor at the Cape Town Baptist Church. We were elated, having worked together with him in earlier years in Salt River and in a – unfortunately very short-lived - prayer effort to attack the drug scourge of the Peninsula, along with two former drug addicts. Another highlight was the monthly praying with the City Bowl pastors on Thursday 9 October. The same media and public which had skyrocketed Hansie to popular prominence now turned on him with a vengeance. He was stripped of his captaincy, the support of his former team mates, and the respect of an entire nation. The cricket administrators imposed a crushing lifetime ban forbidding Hansie to ever play cricket again. The national and international television and newspaper media humiliated him further with the most vindictive dissection of his life. Yet, Hansie never blamed anyone else, but took the full responsibility upon himself, confessing and apologising to the nation, and giving full disclosure of all aspects of the sordid saga before the 2000 King Commission. Yet his courageous confession was further abused by the media to attempt to destroy any remaining respect for the man. P.S. If you agree, please send me the email addresses of the CCM executive. I am quite willing to adapt the declaration and liaise with Cape workers among Jews and then send all of you a draft declaration as soon as possible. By mid-October 2008 there was still no concrete sign of City Bowl churches prepared to work together. As the wedding of our daughter approached, Rosemarie thought of Maeve Verblun as someone to do the flowers at the occasion. (Maeve had been attending a home church group of the Cape Town Baptist Church in our Vredehoek residence in 1994 until we left on home assignment in March 1995 and also thereafter we retained a loose friendship. For many years Maeve was responsible for flower arrangements at the church. When she visited us in the middle of October 2008, I mentioned in passing our early morning prayer on Signal Hill and that we prayed there for Bo-Kaap and Sea Point. She immediately showed interest to join. The event on the 4th Saturday of October on Signal Hill1 was destined to have interesting ramifications when Maeve invited me there to come to the prayer meeting at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Vredehoek, which took place every last Saturday morning of the month. When I attended their event on 29 November (the 5th Saturday of the month.) I was blessed out of my socks to hear what God had already started doing in Sea Point. The fellowship had started with a church planting initiative through Jacques Erasmus. (As a Straatwerk colleague he had already been praying with us at the Ministers' Fraternal in 2007. I could also listen to their vision to reach out in the City Bowl with the Gospel, if possible together with other churches. ) Events in our neighbouring country Zimbabwe At this time things were going from bad to worse in our neighbouring country Zimbabwe. Cholera was claiming thousands of victims there with many cases reported not only in the border areas, but also in the Western Cape, in Kayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. The reassurance of our State President that a unity government would be in place by 13 February left almost everyone sceptical. There had been so many promises that this was possibility was not reassuring. In fact, there were no signs that things were improving. In February God put on the heart of a Christian to send out a prayer alert for Zimbabwe, requesting people all over the world to pray for that country on Sunday 10 February at 10.00h. We relayed this message also via our email list of contacts. But then the ultimate crunch came with the news that Mrs Susan Tsvangirai, the wife of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, the new Zimbabwean Prime Minister, was killed in a car crash on 6 March 2009 when heading towards their rural home. He sustained non-life threatening injuries. Rumours were rife that this had been just another attempt of Mr Robert Mugabe to eliminate uncomfortable opposition. Fear gripped the nation that the country was on the verge of another massive purge of all opposition of the President or civil war. A new wave of prayer erupted for the country. The miracle happened! The death of Susan Tsvangirai appeared to unify the country in an unprecedented way. The widower reacted in a dignified way, reassuring the nation that it was a genuine accident and not orchestrated. But another miracle happened! After only two weeks of the new unity government bread could be bought for 50 US cents and petrol became freely available! The schools and hospitals were in operation again. This was a clear answer to the prayers of thousands if not millions around the world who prayed for the devastated country. We continue to pray for a spiritual revival. 3 December emails of Hammond and Naidoo 9 December Dennis Fahringer 10 December email of Boshoff 11 Dec Lwandle and William Fisher Towards the end of last year Apostle Simon Kariuki, a Kenyan living in South Africa and leading KANAP Ministries traveled around the nation to all 9 provinces sharing what the Lord had shown him and asked him to do. He had a vision of the feet of Africa in chains stopping the continent moving into its calling in God in this season and the feet were the nation of South Africa. On seeking the Lord he was instructed to call the nation to 12 days of prayerand the dates were to be 1st to 12th February. I have attached his letter for you to read for yourself. From his visit to us in Bhisho when we had a deep time of prayer over the matter the Lord confirmed to us that this was indeed a call from Him and so we pass this on to you together with the Prayer Points and Strategies the Lord has given us. These are attached as the GGN Prayer Focus. We are asking you to join us and let as many others know as possible. Many people are already fasting for the nation but those who have not yet or are not we encourage you to add fasting to the prayer. Our nation is at a very serious time where the people of the nation will be making choices as to who becomes our next president. We need to ensure we are not manipulated by any politician or political party through witchcraft. In a troubled time in his nation Habakkuk said "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected" Hab 2:1. Let us stand our watch on these 12 days together around the nation and see what He will say to us as and direct us to in the days ahead. Continually compelled by the love of Christ Laurette Mkati With Munyaradzi on Thursday 20 November in Bo-Kaap St.Paul's (last of month Febraury) Dear Brethren ELECTIONS 2009: NATIONWIDE 12 DAY INTERCESSION FOR SOUTH AFRICA Receive warm greetings from the Head Office of Kingdom Age Network of Apostles and Prophets (KANAP), Waterkloof Heights, Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng, South Africa. Your particulars were given to me by men and women of God who believe that you are very instrumental in advancing the Kingdom of God in your area. As a result, allow me to briefly convey what God has recently laid in my heart for the Nation of South Africa. There is an urgent need to pray for South Africa. It came through a vision which I received when I was in prayer. I saw two feet in chains and fetters. I then enquired from the Lord what the vision meant and this was the interpretation; In a manner of speaking, ‘South Africa is the feet of the Continent of Africa and the devil's strategy is to cripple and demobilize Africa. Crippling South Africa is one of the ways the devil is planning to avert and thwart God's redemptive plan and purpose for the Continent of Africa’. Given South Africa’s importance in the Continent, its failure would reverse all the strides the Continent has made in terms of the social, economic, political and spiritual development. This would be against God’s plan for Africa! It is the season and the set time to favor Africa. South Africa is strategic in the fulfillment of God's purpose and plan for the Continent. South Africa is the gateway for the Continent of Africa. A vision was given to a Man of God many years ago showing that Nigeria is the trigger of Africa and South Africa is the nozzle. When I received the vision of the feet in chains, I perceived that the whole body was in pain. If South Africa is struck, the whole of the Continent of Africa will be in pain. It has therefore become imperative that the people of South Africa and the rest of the Continent join forces in strategic prayer and not allow the devil’s plan to succeed. Africa needs its feet unshackled for mobility and to make strides in all dimensions of life for the fulfillment of God’s purposes for it. We need to take responsibility in strategic prayer to refuse and break all the chains and fetters the devil is placing on our feet. This can be achieved by: Washing our feet with prayer. Oiling our feet with prayer. Beautifying our feet with prayer. Energizing our feet with prayer. Ensuring that our feet are free from the shackles of the enemy. The feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:10-18). Since this vision, I have sought God’s direction as to what to do about. it. The magnitude of the vision is overwhelming and I have had misgivings that it was in fact difficult to attain. However, by the power of God and through partnering with you, the demonic forces and ideological strongholds that are deeply entrenched in the country will not prevail. We need to stand together and pursue the realization of this vision. It's time for Africa to arise and shine. The above vision has ensured that I start seeking God for direction, confirmation and strategy. As I was seeking the face of the Lord, it became apparent that we need to create awareness, organize and mobilize a Nationwide 12 Day Intercession initiative for South Africa. This needs to happen some time next year before the elections. Initial assessments suggest that this would need to take place from the 1st to 12th February 2009. This period is opportune as South Africa faces critical milestones in its young democracy, that is, the elections and the hosting of the 2010 World Cup. We are tentatively looking at 1st - 12th of February 2009. The dates will be confirmed after receiving your feedback and deliberations with other intercessors, and ultimately with God of Heaven. The reason we cannot hold the prayers earlier than this time is because we need to visit all the major cities of the nine provinces of South Africa to investigate, motivate and consult about this mandate. Although there has been tremendous direction, confirmation and strategy from the Heavens, I have had to overcome my own personal hesitation and doubt. This hesitation stemmed from a myriad of issues including the fact that, inasmuch as I live here, I am not a South African citizen. I also anticipated opposition from the Churches and Prayer Houses. Thirdly, the sheer size and magnitude of the vision is overwhelming and daunting. Fourthly, the depth of resistance from demonic forces is discouraging. And fifthly, I did not know if the initiative would enjoy the support it so badly needs, and from whence it will come. I have been on my knees seeking God on all these concerns and implore everyone’s prayers and support. I have received many confirmations to begin this mandate. One of them came when a group of Inner City Intercessors Forum in Pretoria requested me to go and speak on corporate prayer shortly after I have received the vision. I shared with them the vision and the urgency in my heart to pray for South Africa and they caught the need and urgency in my spirit. They requested me to write a draft framework of Intercession for the City, which I did. Upon hearing my vision, and the expressed need to pray for South Africa, they were particularly receptive and requested that I prepare a framework of intercession for South Africa. I have since prepared such framework, and copies are available upon request via e-mail. This Initiative has since received some form of endorsement from the said Inner City Intercessors of Pretoria. I therefore submit to you the idea of a 12-day initiative of Nationwide Intercession, and urge you to support this initiative. This initiative has to be effective, relevant and dynamic. It will require that we travel across the nine provinces of South Africa to collect data on the spiritual status of the Cities within the nine Provinces prior to the initiative, to consult and garner support for the initiative. We will use the adopted framework of intercession to ask questions and for investigation. In each Province, we will go to the capital City to investigate, motivate and consult how best we can pray for South Africa in the 12 day prayer window next year. We will also find out which other major Cities within each Province need a visit. Anyone who is willing to join hands with us is welcome. We are willing to talk to anyone who feels led to support us, from the common man on the streets, to the Businessmen, Provincial Administrators, Church Leaders and all. We will be asking them to share with us how they feel we should pray for South Africa and how they can be involved. As we go a long to each Province, we will be in prayer. Our ultimate goal will be to usher God's Presence in all of South Africa. We will be seeking God for a spiritual shift, cleansing and breakthrough for South Africa. We will be mobilizing intercessors for next year's election as well as the 2010 World Cup. The time to pray is now. There is urgency in the Spiritual realm to pray. God is looking for men and women to stand in the gap. Going to all the provinces has been motivated and premised by the fact that the destiny of South Africa is the hands of God. All South Africans need to travail in prayer to ensure that the purposes of God are not aborted. Intercessors will be like Midwives or Air traffic controllers. We will seize every opportunity to teach strategic intercession to any group that feels ill equipped. The trips to all Provinces and eventually the Nationwide 12 day Intercession initiative for South Africa, comes at a time when the country is faced with major challenges in leadership, economics, security and social-cultural issues. The masses are seeking for divine clarity and a prophetic voice saying "This is the way walk in it”. African Nations are also watching to see what will happen to Africa’s economic powerhouse - South Africa. We will also be mobilizing Intercessors from all other African Countries to be involved in this mandate. We cannot allow the spirit of Cain to dominate us. We are our brothers’ keepers. South Africa is the feet of Mother Africa and the devil is planning to demobilize, incapacitate and infect Africa's feet. If South Africa is crippled by the devil, the rest of Africa will feel the pain. God is calling African Nations to be part of strategizing and implementing the 12 Day Nationwide Intercession initiative. The Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). I believe it is time for the restoration of the continent of Africa and we need to be our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9). We are calling upon other African Nations to participate in this Heavenly mandate without malice, ulterior motive and selfish interest. I am truly convinced and believe that it is time for the restoration of the continent of Africa and each and everyone needs to put his or her shoulder to the wheel. Any delegation that wants to come for this mandate should inform us as early as possible. They should not come expecting anything from us. They should come to invest prayer in the country of South Africa. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any transport, subsistence nor accommodation and as such, each individual, each group will have to take care of their costs such as transport, food and accommodation etc Detailed planning for the 12 Day Nationwide Initiative will be undertaken by a National Strategic Team which will be constituted by people drawn from the nine provinces who will act as a think tank. I think that this strategic think tank needs to comprise different types of expertise and not limited to clergymen. One can not help but be apprehensive about the participation of Clergy. However the input of Ministries, Churches, Prayer Houses and Apostolic Bases of all flavors, convictions and persuasions will be exceptionally appreciated. We are trusting God to sow the seeds of interest to many hearts. We are also keen to hear from people who are already doing something in the form of prayer along these lines. It needs to be emphasized that there are no personal rewards envisaged from this Initiative as all potential proceeds will be unto the Lord. We are anticipating challenges in this aspect and we are praying that God will pleasantly surprise us. God will fight our battles and He will deal with every group that plans to over throw, abort, distract, dilute or deter the mandate. We will also be on the look out for "friendly fire". God Himself will provide the people that need to be involved in this mandate. We are confident that God is laying the same kind of burden in many hearts. We need to consolidate and do something of eternal significance. Your feedback in this regard will be appreciated. Let us know what you are thinking and doing if you are already praying along these lines. Jesus Christ, who is the Commander in Chief of the Heavenly Hosts will be the only One receiving ALL glory. Leaders motivated by personal gain and glory will not be welcome to this mandate. All financial and resources contributions will be unto the Lord and we will not allow the spirit of manipulation or control. We will keep the mandate pure, focused and forceful in its deliberations and implementation. We encourage every aspect of this mandate to be prayed for before any action is taken. We will trust God for the right people, the right dates and the right prayer focus. We will call in the finances, logistics and publicity for the implementation of this mandate. We encourage political parties, corporations, businesses, organizations, institutions and individuals to write to us 12 key areas we should pray for Nation of South Africa. The 12 prayer points should be written in order of priority. The 12 prayer points will be processed through strategic prayer, fasting and deliberations. Out of the cumulative nationwide requests and collected data, we will eventually provide a Strategy for the 12 days of Nationwide Prayer. We need participation from all parts of the country. Communicate with us if you would like us to meet with you as we criss-cross South Africa for this mandate. Indicate which Province, City and Suburb you come from. We also need your name, age, profession, e-mails and telephone numbers. We are targeted to capitalize on the statistical fact that 79.8 South Africans are Christians. We need to pray and “move the mountains” (Mark 11:23-26). We need to make a statement in the spiritual realm. We need to do our part in shaping the destiny of this nation. We appeal to participants to desist from sending biased, subjective and partisan requests. We will be praying for the overall mandate of the Nation of South Africa. Our objective is to invoke purpose, plan and destiny for the Nation of South Africa. We are encouraging intercessory groups in each province to integrate and abstain from promoting tribal, racial, xenophobic or denominational biases in this mandate. We will be seeking to eradicate racial, tribal, denominational or xenophobic biases and ideological strong-holds through this 12 day Nationwide Intercession initiative. Our objective is to invoke purpose, plan and destiny for the Nation of South Africa. May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you, lead you and equip you for His good purposes. In His Mandate, Apostle Symon Kariuki Kingdom Age Network of Apostles and Prophets (Kanap P.O Box 13754, Hatfield 00128 Pretoria - South Africa +27 729 774 462 / +27 12 347 8668 kanapinstitute@gmail.com kanap@telkomsa.net www.kanap.org We call on all of you to support this prayer walk initiative around the perimeter of South Africa through prayer and personal involvement. The aim is to stand against social, economical and moral decay, proclaim righteousness and bless the country and its people. On 14 March the first two of 10 groups of men will start this walk near Augrabies in the Northern Cape and make their way around the border, the last two groups ending in Durban on 18 April. There are inclusive of walkers, logistical, administrative and intercessory support, close to 200 people involved of different church denominations and cultural backgrounds.   Vision To rebuild broken walls and gates in South Africa and proclaim the Lordship of Christ over South Africa and praying that the nation will return to God.   Mission For born again children of the Lord (men) to conduct a prayer walk of the perimeter of South Africa or as close as possible thereto, as a prophetic action to confess and repent our sins of iniquity, injustice, crime, violence and destruction and proclaim the Name of Jesus and pray for His blessing in the cities, on the roads and at the gates of South Africa.   Purpose To intercede for the nation of South Africa; repenting of our iniquity and sin and ask God to restore and heal our nation. Demise of Islam as a negative spiritual Force? Islam had not yet recovered from setbacks when Ahmed Deedat, the well-known apologist and Muslim debater, died. Surprisingly, his death on 8 August 2005 was hardly mentioned in the South African media outside of Islamic circles. Soon hereafter, the background of the stroke, which he suffered in May 1996, was published on a website by Dave Foster, a missionary based in Durban. Foster, an SIM missionary from Canada, who had been ministering in the Durban area for many years with his wife Kathy, was well-known for his gentle, friendly and peaceful approach in reaching Muslims. In the article he revealed how he had become involved in a highly confrontational encounter with Deedat. Ahmed Deedat’s spiritual heirs announced at some stage that they would take all his books from the shelves that are offensive to Christians. But it became known that the Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI) had started to actively raise funds to reprint an inflammatory booklet. It was exactly the full-page publication of this material which brought Foster and Durban ministers to challenge Deedat to renounce his heresy publicly or face God’s wrath. His failure to do this was followed by a medical condition where he could not speak normally for more than nine years, confined to different hospital beds all of the time. Hastings, Adrian - The Church in Africa, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 2004 (276 has) p.358/9 Possibly Nowhere else in the world with the exception of New Zealand as in south Africa a country was so thickly populated with missionaries. The multitude of White missionaries in southern Africa and the very healthy conditions they enjoyed there however inhibited the growth of indigenous clergy. White settlement also crushed the societies that had lived there and dispossessed them of a great part of their land. The simultaneous wave of missionaries was seen and resented as part and parcel of the same thing. Furthermore, White South Africans did not want successful Blacks. The only thing they want from Blacks was cheap labour. The Black Christian was 'restricted to an increasingly boring existence inside a sort of cultural no man's land, neither African nor European: forced or persuaded to abandon the one society but refused admittance to the other.' This had to lead to an explosion – Ethiopianism. p. 359 It is on record how Henry Callaway, an Anglican missionary of exceptional ability and understanding of African culture changed considerably. After initial concern at the raping of African culture he adapted as the years passed, until he came 'to believe instead in the necessity of the imposition of European ways for the accomplishment of evangelization' Missionary Arrogance: a LMS missionary (William Ellis) wrote a report including a typical conclusion in 1855: The native Churches have not hitherto and do not now contain young men of piety and talent or attainments to render them suitable for becoming students for the Christian ministry Completeness of White control, lack of sympathy with African culture and identification of Christianity with the standards of the Victorian middle class combined to hinder the spread of the Gospel Lack of sympathy with African culture manifest in such things as the hard line against circumcision and increasingly lobola. Polygamy was another big hurdle because most missions refused to baptise men with more than one wife. At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing it was sad that Ds Freek Swanepoel, Moderator of the General Synod of the DRC, had to concede that he could speak on behalf of the whole denomination. There had been some who did not want him to speak and apologise. Very powerfully he noted how the synods of 1990 and 1994 confessed and apologised to church members that they have been misled for decades. In a moving and meaningful moment he not only asked forgiveness from the 'prophets' from their midst who had to pay a high price for their criticism of apartheid, but he also confessed their guilt 'in respect of the Black and Brown co-citizens'. The 1978 Sendingkerk synod rejected apartheid outright because this would be tantamount to denying the power of the reconciliation of Christ. Four years later, on 6 October 1982, a draft confession was accepted. After intense discussion among the church members, it was accepted on 26 September 1986, to become quite widely known as the Belhar Confession. Because the document condemned apartheid as a heresy, it remainded a red herring for many in the Dutch Reformed Church family. 1982: Confession by the church for the injustice perpetrated to women by excluding them for generations from office in the church . Kerk en Samelewing 1990: 'Enige poging van 'n kerk om so 'n sisteem Bybels-eties te probeer regverdig, moet as 'n ernstige dwaling beskou word, dit wil sê as in stryd met die Bybel.' Alvin Grout the Poison of Language Vibes ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 9:16 AM Subject: how can we help? Some suggestions! To: richard.sikakane@dha.gov.za, martha.mgxashe@dha.gov.za, yolisa.mzamane@dha.gov.za, Mpho Sithole Cc: Braam , David , Nzwaki < esperance@mweb.co.za>, Phaladi , Anaclet Mbayagu < m.anaclet@gmail.com>  Hi Richard, How are you. I do hope that things may get better and better as you settle in in your new function. I was at the Nyanga offices on Monday morning again, but I was unable to meet you personally. It seems that one would need a cellphone number to get an appointment with you because it has been impossible to get through to you telephonically if one tried to use your reception last week (via 021 3805000). Either nobody picked up the phone or it was engaged. I also had this problem in the past but not as bad as recently. I trust you will be able to look into this serious matter. Did you receive my email of 5 July below? As yet I have not received any reply to it. I did notice however that the situation in Nyanga has not improved. In fact, it very much reminded me of the bad days at the customs house premises in the city. The need for a meeting with stakeholders - in order to assist you in getting some handle on the situation would definitely not be a luxury at this stage. May I repeat my question: *Is there any reason for returning to the state of affairs where you have so many different nationalities on any given day? Why do you not return to the modus to have certain days for certain countries, a method which worked so well at the beginning of the year? That should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody there. I also would like to repeat *my other suggestion: to let all asylum seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers).  * Would it really not be an idea to look again at the notion of having *different services (e.g. extensions, rectifications, newscomers) at different Home Affairs offices. The big numbers at Nyanga must of necessity lead to stress to your staff, which could be significantly diminished if the number of refugees there would be reduced. Of course, I take for granted that such measures should then be implemented nationally and decision thus taken on a national level. Because of this, I send this email to the office of the Director-General in Pretoria, with whom we communicated last year. I also dare to express the disappointment of me and other stakeholders that there is still no system in place whereby persons who have not been served on any given day are given proof of their presence  there, to obviate them having to be sent away empty-handed a second or even a third time. Some people have to spend precious money to come to the offices which they do not have so readily. This email is also sent to the other stakeholders' task team and to the office of the Director-General in Pretoria, with whom we communicated last year. As stakeholder we trust that l you will call a meeting soon so that we can put our heads together again in an attempt to bring some amelioration to the horrible situation for refugees in Nyanga. Yours faithfully . P.S. This email also sent to the other stakeholders' task team Hi Richard, Here is the letter about which I spoke. ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: Self To: martha.mgxashe@dha.gov.za, yolisa.mzamane@dha.gov.za Subject: stakeholders meeting: partial apology Copies to: "Braam" , "David" <"action@edico.org.za>, "Dixon" , "Nzwaki" , "Phaladi " , "Anaclet Mbayagu" Date sent: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:59:29 +0200 Dear Mss Mgxashe and Mzamane Thanks for the invitation to the stakeholders meeting at Scalabrini coming Monday. Unfortunately I would possibly not be there for the beginning of the meeting, but I will try to join you as soon as I again if at all possible. I would like to share a concern which I picked up this week at my visits to the Nyanga offices: I am very concerned how things have deteriorated there. It looked very much like the bad days last year at the foreshore premises when corruption was rife because of the apparent bad management. Is there any reason for returning to the state of affairs to have so many different nationalities on any given day? Could you not return to the situation to have certain days for certain countries? That should drastically reduce the numbers which must cause stress to everybody there. I also would like to repeat my earlier suggestion to let all asylum seekers come every six months (and not only newcomers). After my personal experience and experience with a lady who wanted a paper for rectification of her own document and a paper for her daughter I suggest that workers should be equipped to do all transactions and that a fulltime receptionist be appointed to make appointments for the personnel. It would drastically decrease the number of people in Nyanga if one would not first have to come to make an appointment like for a certain worker and then come again for the actual transaction. How often I tried to phone there with the phone only ringing. And when I did get through to the gentleman responsible for the otgher transaction, he was invatriably not in his office. If I did not bump into Ms Yolisa Msamane by chance, we may not have been able to get another paper in stead of a soiled one. (It is inexplicable to me why Cedric (or somone else cannot also do the rectification of the date of birth of the lady I tried to assist.) Furthermore, some people who have come from afar, are sent home and asked to return the next day without having any proof that they have been there. This situation is of course a result of the scores of people the office has to handle on any given day. I do hope that my suggestions will receive your serious attention and that these and other measures could be implemented so that the number of refugees and other people at your Nyanga offices could be drastically reduced and spare your workers unnecessary stress. Yours faithfully Ashley D.I. Cloete, P.S. A copy is sent to the members of the task team as well as Anaclet Mbayagu and Duncan Breen from CORMSA Monday, 13 October 2008 Dear Richard, I just wanted to report back on our rather poorly attended meeting on Friday. We appreciate though that it would have been difficult – after our lengthy meeting at the Refugeee Centre in Nyanga on Thursday afternoon, that for the bulk of the participant stakeholders it would have been difficult to break away yet again. We have decided though to attempt the organizing of an indaba here in Cape Town next month with the major role players around the issue of refugees. We deem the matter very urgent in the explosive situation not only in Nyanga. David Jacobs (EDICO) and I will try to set it up with the aid of the Cape Town City Council and other agencies whom we must still approach. I would like to repeat my request at our meeting on Thursday afternoon, if you could assist in my meeting the Minister of 'Home Affairs' and or Director General in Pretoria tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday, when I hope to attend the Solemn Day of Prayer for our nation. (If they prefer Wednesday, the first thing in the morning or late afternoon looks to be the best options from my side. I could either fly in on Tuesday evening or leave Pretoria in the early evening.) The bottom line of the stakeholders present at our meeting is that the course the government is traversing with regard to refugees, is very dangerous. From the information I gathered at the Youngsfield camp it seems that all Somalians and Sudanese have been granted asylum, and those from Zimbabwe given another month's 'grace' (?). I expect the bulk of the asylum seekers who have been rejected – if not all – to appeal. All the work (and stress for all of you) this would entail, let alone the costs of such a procedure is really not worth it we deem. First and foremost we have serious problems with a) Fraudulent second interviews with the asylum seekers where the officials don't seem to listen to the stories of destitute traumatised folk b) A general trampling on the dignity of humans made in the image of God. My appeal to the government officials in Pretoria would rest on the premise of a change of course with regard to refugees, a return to the path that our beloved former President Mandela has left us, viz. to be loving and caring to them because so many of us were afforded love and respect when we were away from home (I was exiled for almost twenty years because of my marriage to a White). I will be phoning you later today, to see whether you have read this email and/or whether you could arrange an interview for me. Yours faithfully, Ashley P.S. As usual, I send a copy of this letter to the other stakeholders, as well as to offices in Pretoria. So when you phone there, they could have read this letter. Departing from hesitancy to forward emails, I do it this time. We think that if we don't speak out clearly now, we could become party to allowing to get another God-dishonouring scourge on our statute books - perhaps abomination would be the more biblical word. The comparison is not fully to the point, but it should be noted nevertheless that we as a notion would have benefited greatly to get a warning against the easy bail law when it came into our statute books in the mid-1990s. The escalation of crime which is now almost impossible to contain, is the sad legacy. We will be lodging our objection against the decriminalising of along those lines. We are privileged as a nation that this time round we are forewarned - with the looming massive increase of unemployment - of what could happen to  our nation - and especially to destitute females - if pimps and prostitution would be given almost free reign.  Ashley (and Rosemarie) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Africa Christian Action Date: Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 4:20 PM Subject: [Christianaction] Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves! To: Christian Action List Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves!   There seems to be some confusion surrounding the legislative process on prostitution.   The current debate is whether prostitution should be decriminalised or remain criminalised in South Africa.   The SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) is currently hosting workshops around the country on the issue of adult prostitution. They are tasked with bringing laws that have been on our statute books in line with our current constitution.   The submissions the SALRC receive from the public will form part of their recommendations to the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development. (This is the first part of the process).   Following this, a draft Bill will be tabled by Parliament and the public will again be invited to make written and oral submissions on the Adult Prostitution Bill. (Second part of the process)   Many concerned citizens have been asking, “Won’t the ruling party simply railroad the Prostitution Bill through Parliament like they did with the same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation”?   The difference between prostitution and same-sex ‘marriage’ is that the Constitutional Court ruled that denying homosexuals the right to marry was "discriminatory" based on the "sexual orientation" clause in the Bill of Rights.   That meant Parliament had to bring the ‘Marriage Act’ in line with the constitution. Prostitution, however, has no constitutional protection and is not considered a human right.   The Constitutional Court ruled on 10 October 2002 that prostitution and running brothels are still illegal. The ruling dashed the hopes of brothel owner Ellen Jordan, who spent millions of rands in her court bids to get the laws thrown out.   When Jordan, one of her employees and a prostitute were arrested for contravening the Sexual Offences Act of 1957 in 1996, Jordan took the case to the High Court.   The High Court found that (1) sections of the law that render sex for money a crime were unconstitutional, and that (2) legislation outlawing brothels should be upheld.   Jordan then took the rulings to the Constitutional Court to have the first one confirmed and the second overturned. However, the Constitutional Court upheld both rulings.   The first ruling outlawing prostitution and the second outlawing brothel-keeping were both upheld by the Constitutional Court.   The Court found that outlawing prostitution did not infringe on the rights to human dignity and economic activity.   http://www.safrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/constitution/prostitution1.htm   As a result, the total criminalisation of prostitution including all aspects of the sex industry is very much in line with the constitution.   That means, the only way prostitution will be decriminalised in South Africa - is if those who oppose it - remain silent and uninvolved.   For the sake of all vulnerable women and children in South Africa, I implore you to draft a submission to the SALRC before 30 June 09.   A summary of the SALRC proposals are available at the following link. http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp0001-2009_prj107_2009sum.pdf To help you answer the 9 questions on the total criminalisation option in the SALRC questionnaire – you may request the Family Policy Institute’s submission which contains all the facts drawn from research on prostitution at info@familypolicyinstitute.org   You may email your submissions to Dellene Clark at dclark@justice.gov.za or Carine Pienaar at capienaar@justice.gov.za before 30 June 2009. the government. Pastor Errol Naidoo wrote the following in an email on 30 July, 2009: Dallene Clark, the lead researcher on adult prostitution at the SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) informed me that they received thousands of submissions from concerned citizens across the country – the majority of whom selected the option that totally criminalises the sex industry. According to her, the SALRC will now embark on a long and complicated process which must acknowledge every single submission before making recommendations to the Minister of Justice. Ms Clark estimates the earliest the Minister of Justice can expect to receive the final recommendations for legislation on adult prostitution is early 2011. If this is correct, it will mean a crushing defeat for those lobbying for legalised prostitution for the 2010 World Cup. And more importantly, it represents a significant victory for women and children! The prostitution lobby did not still still however. A few months down the road Pastor Errol Naidoo wrote similar letters to the State President and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development . The Hon Jeffrey Thamsanga Radebe Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Pretoria Re: Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill. Dear Minister Radebe, I write as a concerned citizen of South Africa and in my capacity as a representative of a broad alliance of Christian Churches & Denominations. Family Policy Institute has conducted both local and international research on prostitution and human trafficking. During the course of our work we have been confronted with numerous incidences of human trafficking for sexual purposes in South Africa. As result of this growing threat in our country and in the interest of the safety of thousands of vulnerable women and children, I appeal to you to expedite the passage of this Bill through the legislative process and signed into law as a matter of urgency. I have been in contact with the City of Cape Town’s Vice Squad on Prostitution and am shocked to discover that there is a discernable increase in sex trafficking and the proliferation of illegal brothels in Cape Town. Christian ministries I am associated with confirm similar activity in other SA cities. In my discussions with law enforcement officials I discovered that the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill – once passed by Parliament and signed into law by the president - will significantly increase and strengthen the South African Police Service’s scope and ability to investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking in South Africa. Reports I have received indicate there is a marked increase in activity in the illegal sex industry in anticipation of the World Cup Finals which include local and foreign nationals involved in trafficking girls as young as 12 into prostitution. This current and growing threat against our women and children warrant the urgent action of government as it is government’s primary responsibility to secure the safety of its citizens. I therefore appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and await your positive response in this regard. Sincerely Errol Naidoo Family Policy Institute 49 Parliament St Cape Town Tel: 021 462 7888 Fax: 088 021 462 7889 Dear Prayer partners, We thank the Lord that the xenophobic threats have up to now not been carried out in terms of ongoing violence. However, as we have previously indicated, philoxenia (love for the stranger) has not yet taken off in our country! I was phoning the Refugee Centre a half an hour ago w.r.t. to the resumption of our compassionate ministry there after our absence the last few months (Because of the World up outreach) and our trip overseas. I now had to hear from the Director that there is a court order, that they have to vacate the premises by 23. August. The Refugee Centre has tried for months to get alternative premises, but xenophobic attitudes by neighbouring companies have effectively blocked every other possibility. They have no alternative, so that the facility will have to close down unless there is a major change of heart. And this is the reason for our urgent prayer request. You may remember how glad we were for the wonderful service delivery that emanated from the new premises in Maitland after the traumatic conditions at other venues since 2007. The Director of the Refugee Centre has just told me that they want to request more time to look for alternative accommodation, but that a certain company has been very adamantly stating that they would oppose any such request. I have now contacted Barry Isaacs, the regional co-ordinator of Transformation (Global day of Prayer) and a member of the Consultation of Christian Churches executive, as well as a member of the regional Religious Forum. He agreed to join me in an hour and a half to speak to the firm that opposes the proximity of the Refugee Centre, without any prior appointment.  Please pray with us for a miracle, that the Lord may give a complete change of heart so that the facility in which thousands of rand have been invested over the last year or so, can continue to be used for the forseeable future. How thankful we were that although the Refugee Centre was given some reprieve to operate at the Maitland premises till the end of October. They could not find alternative premises. Although they were constantly operating with the sword of Democles hovering over their heads we were very happy that by Christmas 2010 they were still there. What possibly helped the situation was that a government decree expected all Zimbabweans in the country to get legalised by 31 December 2010. This might have made the neighbours more lenient not to attempt to press for the enfoercement of the court order and the inevitable eviction. 11.11.2010 The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) have finally decided to hold a tribunal to hear representations from complainants against Special Assignments appallingly biased program (31 Aug) that claimed to explore the proposed legislation to ban internet pornography. Several Christian viewers and myself lodged complaints against the SABC for blatantly distorting the facts, demonising Christians, fabricating evidence and ignoring scientific data from experts. The tribunal will be held on 29 Nov at the BCCSA HQ in Johannesburg. I will attend the hearing and present my case before a BCCSA panel. Please pray for a victory against liberal media bias. I met with former ANC MP, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and her team from the "Embrace Dignity" Campaign on 6 Nov. We discussed a strategic alliance and in particular, our common goal to prevent decriminalised prostitution and end the sexual exploitation of women & children in SA. We have agreed to begin formulating a policy solution specifically focused on addressing South Africa and Africa’s unique challenges with regard to prostitution & its links to organised crime. The international experts on prostitution & trafficking from Sweden, the US and New Zealand will add their global expertise to our efforts along with vital input from the local ministries & experts. The goal is to present a draft policy solution on prostitution law reform to delegates at the proposed Conference to "End the Sexual Exploitation of Women & Children", scheduled for 2011. I am also trusting God the Project Care Co-ordinators across the country will attend the conference next year, so we can discuss and finalise the Church's strategy to help women exit prostitution. Following the conference and hopefully consensus on the draft policy, the ministries and partner organisations involved in this initiative will formulate their submissions to Parliament – based on the agreed policy solution - to reduce and eventually eradicate prostitution & sex trafficking. On 12 Nov FPI will host a meeting of several ministries involved in rescuing women trapped in prostitution & those working to end human trafficking, at the Baptist Church in Cape Town. We will discuss progress including my recent discussions with the international experts & Embrace Dignity, the proposed conference next year and our strategy to develop the policy on prostitution. Check out this Times Live article by two talented Christian Journos. Happy hooker, hideous myth. http://www.facebook.com/l/c126aUEatFL_pVkvBdDPjObUagA;www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/article750013.ece/Happy-hooker-hideous-myth I have also written to the newly appointed Deputy Home Affairs Minister, Fatima Chohan and Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana. I trust God for open doors and favour with both these ministries in our quest to ban internet pornography to protect children. Please continue to pray that this legislation will succeed. Boycotting Israel In 2010 the US campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) announced it had collected 500 endorsements from US academics for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The endorsements were seen as a sign of changing US attitudes toward Israel in the wake of an Israeli raid on a humanitarian aid flotilla in the Mediterranean. Proposals for an academic boycott of Israel were inspired by the historic academic boycott of South Africa which were an attempt to pressure South Africa to end its policies of Apartheid. The goal of proposed academic boycotts is to isolate Israel in order to force a change in Israel's policies towards the Palestinians which opponents claim to be discriminatory or oppressive. The proposals have been opposed by many scholars and politicians, who describe the campaign as "profoundly unjust" and relying on what they consider to be a "false" analogy South Africa. One critical statement has said that the boycotters apply "different standards" to Israel than other countries, that the boycott is "counterproductive and retrograde" and that the campaign is anti-semitic and comparable to Nazi boycotts of Jewish shops in the 1930s. Despite these oppositions, academic boycott initiatives have been undertaken internationally. In a contribution viewed as historically significant owing to comparisons between Apartheid South Africa and Israel, an academic petition supported by more than 250 academics was launched in South Africa in September 2010 with prominent supporters such as Professors Breyten Breytenbach, Antjie Krog and Mahmood Mamdani, On 29 October 2010 Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu urged a South African opera company to boycott Israel, comparing its treatment of Palestinians to his own country's era of racial apartheid. The Nobel peace prize laureate said it would be ''unconscionable'' for Cape Town Opera to perform in Israel while millions there were denied access to culture and education. November 3, 2010 Dear Archbishop Desmond Tutu, I write to you with a heavy heart. You are a revered leader in South Africa, and, recently, have added your iconic voice to the campaign for sanctions against Israel. Archbishop, I feel compelled to write because I believe that you are making a terrible mistake. Without truth there can be no justice, and without justice there can be no peace. The Talmud says, “The world stands on three things: justice, truth and peace.” These three values are inseparable. Archbishop, I am convinced that the sanctions campaign against Israel is morally repugnant because it is based on horrific and grotesquely false accusations against the Jewish people. The truth, Archbishop, is that Israel is not an apartheid state. In the State of Israel all citizens - Jew and Arab - are equal before the law. Israel has no Population Registration Act, no Group Areas Act, no Mixed Marriages and Immorality Act, no Separate Representation of Voters Act, no Separate Amenities Act, no pass laws, or any of the myriad apartheid laws. Israel is a vibrant liberal democracy with a free press and independent judiciary, and accords full political, religious and other human rights to all its peoples, including its 1 million-plus Arab citizens, many of whom hold positions of authority including that of cabinet minister, member of parliament, and judge at every level of the judiciary, including that of the Supreme Court of Israel. All citizens vote on the same roll in regular, multi-party elections; there are Arab parties and Arab members of other parties in Israel’s parliament. Arabs and Jews share all public facilities, including hospitals, and also malls, buses, cinemas and parks, and, Archbishop, that includes universities and opera houses. The other untruth is the accusation of the illegal occupation of Arab land. Like the apartheid libel, this is outrageously false. There is no nation on earth that has a longer, deeper and more profound connection to their country than the Jewish people have to the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Archbishop, you and I as religious leaders always turn to the Bible as a source of truth. What does it mean that Israel is the “promised land”? It means, as we both know, that it was promised by G-d to the Jewish people as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This promise was delivered upon by G-d, more than 3300 years ago when Joshua led the Jewish people into the land of Israel. Since then there has been an unbroken Jewish presence in the land of Israel, albeit small during the exile. All the books of the Hebrew Bible - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah etc. - describe the deep connection between Jews and the land of Israel, including the West Bank, whose biblical names are Judea and Samaria, the area that contained the great cities of the two previous Jewish commonwealths, such as Jericho, Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for hundreds of years, Bet El, where Jacob had his vision of the ladder, and Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried together with their wives Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. Three thousand years ago great capitals of today did not exist. There was no London or Paris, no Washington or Moscow, no Pretoria or Cape Town but there was a Jerusalem, a Jewish city, capital of a Jewish state. “If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget its cunning ... if I fail to elevate Jerusalem above my foremost joy.” Those words from Psalms are recited by Jews at every wedding; at every funeral the statement of comfort to the mourners refers to Zion and Jerusalem. Jews pray for Jerusalem three times a day and also in the grace after meals. Archbishop, the Arab/Israeli conflict is not about a struggle against apartheid or occupation. It is a century-long war against the very existence of Jews and of a Jewish state in Israel. There have already been seven major Arab/Israeli wars since the birth of the modern state of Israel. Today the war front includes an alliance between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, the latter now with 40 000 rockets aimed at Israeli cities. Iranian officers train Hezbollah forces, while Iran pursues nuclear weapons and openly declares its aim of wiping out Israel. Hamas, the Palestinian government in Gaza, sides with Iran and Hezbollah in rearming with the declared aim of destroying Israel. Since 1967, one aspect of this century-long conflict has been the demand for a Palestinian state. In spite of the deep historical and religious roots of Jews in all of Israel, generations of Jewish leaders have been prepared for the sake of peace to give up ancestral and covenantal land to establish a Palestinian state. So why has there not been peace? The ANC taught us that you can’t make peace on your own. No matter how much the ANC was committed to a peaceful resolution of the South African conflict, until the National Party was prepared to accept that Black South Africans had a place in their own country, there could be no peace. And so too until the Arab/Muslim world accepts that Jews have a right to a state of their own on their ancestral land of Israel, there will be no peace. Jews accepted the United Nations Resolution establishing a Jewish state and a Palestinian state in 1948 but the Arab world rejected it and 5 countries invaded Israel to destroy it. After that, the West Bank and Gaza were in Arab hands until 1967. There was an opportunity then - every day for almost twenty years - to establish a Palestinian state. It never happened. And since then there have been numerous opportunities - each rejected by Arab leaders. Why? Because this war has been more about the destruction of the Jewish state than about the establishment of a Palestinian state. Even today so-called moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas denies Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. In 2000, the Palestinian leadership launched a massive war of suicide bombers into Israel, leading to more than 1300 Israeli civilian deaths and 10 000 injuries. Proportionately such carnage in South Africa would mean more than 10 000 killed and more than 80 000 injured. Israel erected a security fence with checkpoints to shield it from the attacks launched from the disputed territories. Archbishop, you compare these checkpoints to apartheid South Africa. But they are not about pass laws, which don’t exist in Israeli law. They are on the border between sovereign Israeli territory and the disputed territories of the West Bank and Gaza in order to protect civilians from being murdered, and have been very successful in doing so. These checkpoints - like those which are found at all airports, where people undergo careful security scrutiny, and often invasive searches - are there to prevent suicide bombers from blowing up innocent people. Archbishop, do not bestow respectability on the immoral sanctions campaign - an affront to truth and justice, which prevents peace and prolongs the terrible suffering of people on both sides of this painful conflict. Archbishop, let us pray for an end to all this agony, and for the fulfilment of the verse in the Book of Isaiah, “And the L-rd G-d will wipe away the tears from all faces.” Yours sincerely, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein Dear Dr Tutu, I did not anticipate that I would write to you yet again in this short space of time. I don't know whether you had chance to read my previous email in which I highlighted views that you have expressed in the past. I am afraid that what I said was perhaps not so encouraging or uplifting. Please forgive me if I offended you, sounding perhaps prescriptive. Sometimes I can put my opinion too strong and forceful.* Especially in the light of the verbal attacks on you of recent days, I want to ensure you that I am praying for you. I gladly recall my appreciation and thankfulness to you in our common struggle days. When we were agonizing around the issue of the women and children of Crossroads and KTC who had been forcibly bused to the Transkei, I was so much encouraged at that time to hear that you were retreating for days of fasting and prayer. Also from other sources I gathered that you took prayer very seriously. An email has just been forwarded to me with certain views that you have uttered down the years about Israel and the Jews. I could imagine that you yourself are possibly not so happy with some of the things that you have said in days gone by. While I support and share your prophetic speaking out on behalf of the Palestinians who have been maltreated in ways akin to our people under the previous regime, I have a great personal concern about some of the issues you raised. I would have loved to talk through some of them and prayed with you if that were possible by any means. I am aware though that you are very busy and you should actually really enjoy your retirement. You should know that my wife (a German) and I love Israel and the Jews, at the same time we also love Muslims. From a biblical point of view Israel is the 'apple of God's eye' (Zechariah 2:8). Since my teenage years I was deeply impacted in the SCA and influenced to work towards visible expression of the unity of the body of Christ. Born and bred in the apartheid context, reconciliation and prayer have always been very important to me. The unfortunate estrangement of Christians, Jews and Muslims has been an issue that I attempted to address covertly for a long time. My wife and I have been challenged in recent weeks to be more purposeful with regard to visible local expression of the unity of the body of Christ, the strengthening of ties of followers of Jesus across the board. Already shortly after Lausanne III we felt challenged to have another bash at getting involved with reconciliation in our divided country - that you so vividly depicted as a rainbow nation. Has Paul not already written that this is exactly what the Church should be depicting into the spiritual realm – the multi-coloured, multi-faceted, manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10)? We started by bringing together followers of Jesus from the Abrahamic religions, i.e. also Jewish Messianic and Muslim background believers. In closing, I want to say that I am praying for you, that God may give you special wisdom at this time to respond to your critics in a reconciling and loving way. You should furthermore know that I definitely do not want to glibly criticise you. Greeting you cordially and fraternally, Yours in the grip of our master, Ashley D.I. Cloete *A brother in Christ blessed and challenged me tremendously around 1979 when I asked for his comment on my compilation of personal letters to our government with the title 'Honger na Geregtigheid', which is still unpublished. He noted that he missed compassion and love in the treatise. He compared my manuscript with an overdose of medicine to a sick patient. Next to my advocacy for fairness to Israel, I also deemed it necessary once to appeal for fairness to the Palestinians. On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 our friend Achmed Kariem disseminated an email in which he wrote with which I was not happy at all: Leviticus 19:34 requires the Jews to love strangers in their land as themselves. But since non-Jews were prohibited from practicing idolatry and had to observe the Sabbath and other Jewish rules, the only way to love the non-Jews was to make them equal to Jews—through assimilation. Luckily the Palestinian Arabs would not accept that option. Another possible sense of the biblical commandment is not oppressing aliens, as Egypt did the Hebrews, but that does not imply religious toleration of Muslims, as evident from numerous condemnations of places of pagan worship. Beside, many Israeli Arabs are not peaceful strangers but often dislike Jews and Israel and pose a real threat to Israel’s survival as a Jewish country by exploiting democratic institutions through the swelling numbers of Arabs. … I am not very happy with the dissemination of this email. Why should we try to dilute the biblical command to love the stranger in our gates. Does it mean that we must also rationalise our love to foreigners in our country? In stead, we should erect signs of our coming king as Ezekiel (47:21ff) also prophesied for the end times when Jews should take up their inheritance, along with the foreigners who have settled there. Rationalisation of injustice we also had in the apartheid days. Love drives out fear. Reactionary politics is never a good guideline. Love your enemy is a much better one. That is what Jesus taught. The mix of advocacy on behalf of foreigners in South Africa and fair treatment of Israel by our government resulted in me writing a letter to the editor of Die Burger which however never got 'posted.' As iemand wat my jare lank as Suid-Afrikaner vanuit die buiteland beywer het vir versoening tussen die rasse hier te lande, mag ek nou met dankbaarheid terug kyk op wat God bewerk het. Met besorgdheid en teleurstelling moes ek helaas kyk na dit wat nou gebeur het in die debat rondom de Midde Ooste. Ons as Suid-afrikaners het ongelukkig soveel 'reg van spreek' en outoriteit verloor deur ons eie xenophobiese behandeling van buitelanders. Daarvan getuig die manier hoe huidiglik asielsoekers by die Vlugtelingsentrum van Buitelandse Sake behandel word. Met skaamte kon ons verlede immers bowendien onlangs getuie wees op televisie hoe ons polisie 'n burger van Mosambiek eers mishandel het en daarna keer op keer probeer het om hulleself met flou verontskuldigings te verdedig. Waarom beywer ons Suid-afrikaners ons nie meeer duidelik vir versoening tussen Palestyn en Jood nie - in plaas van op onkonstruktiewe wyse kant te kies? Met die nodige terughoudendheid sou ons m.i. nietemin 'n bydrae kan lewer in die Midde Ooste debat deur meer uitgesproke te bid en te werk vir versoening tussen die nasate van Isak en Ismael. Immers het die twee oudste seuns van Abraham hulle vader saam begrawe (Genesis 25:9). Die Midde-Ooste polemiek in Die Burger herinner my met leedwese aan die vrugtelose diskussie oor grondverdeling van die tagtiger jare wat nou weer kop uitsteek na aanleiding van die ongelukkige 1913 wet. Die beoefening van goeie rentmeessterskap is gevra in plaas van sinlose diskussies oor die regmatige besitters van die land. Ek verstout my om te beweer dat ons land groot genoeg en ryk genoeg is nie slegs vir alle rasse en stamme om hier in vrede te leef nie, maar dat ons selfs vir baie buitelanders uit ander dele van die vasteland tot seën kan wees. Verder sou ons Israel kan aanspoor en aanmoedig om die strekking van Esegiel 47 ter harte te neem en miskien selfs te begin implementeer terwyl ons ons hand beskeie in eie boesem steek vanweë die behandeling van asielsoekers uit ander Afrikalande. Enersyds staan daar in Esegiel 47 “Ek het met 'n eed beloof dat Ek die land aan julle voorouers sal gee, daarom kom dit julle toe as besitting” (vers 14), maar andersyds “Julle moet die land verdeel … vir julleself en vir die vreemdelinge …. Julle moet sulke vreemdelinge as medeburgers beskou” (vers 22). The Battle Against the Islamic Wall Serving Somalian Believers Dear Pastor Andrew, Thank you for your email. To introduce myself first: My wife and I have been working for many years as missionaries, first in Holland and now here at the Cape since 1992. I fully understand your hesitation to render support to the brother known to us as Ayub. We have also encouraged him to take concrete steps of confession Christ first, which could however cost him his life here at the Cape. Here he is the only Somali believer from Muslim background we know. Two others came to the Lord in recent years but one left for another city and the other one now says he is an atheist - we believe out of convenience.) Your glib suggestion 'Go to church and start telling other Somalis that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins. Live for god and do not deny Jesus Christ who bought us with his blood', is not very charitable in my view. We adhere to the principle that your namesake, Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors, has so forcibly demonstrated, and we take liberty to suggest that Christian should use Brother Andrew's teaching of using ISLAM as an acronym for I Shall (alternative Sincerely) Love All Muslims. My wife and I will continue to try and walk a road with Ayub, along with co-workers of Open Doors. We continue to encourage him to take concrete steps of getting out of the closet of secretly following Christ, while we minister also to other Somalians. Perhaps we can stay in touch as we monitor the situation. We continue to pray that the brother might get to a point where Perfect love drives out all fear (1 John 4:18). I copy him in on this correspondence. Yours in the grip of the Master, Ashley D.I. Cloete District Six Islamised? Dear Isaac Ishmael Siblings Just a brief reminder of our prayer walk in District Six coming Saturday, 22 August! We will start outside the Moravian Church, just off Keizergracht (The Green-roofed church on the extreme left of the CPUT buildings (formerly Cape Technikon) at 14.30h. There is ample parking there. After some historical background and orientation, we will divide into smaller groups, returning to the starting point at 15.45h for reporting back. This is an exercise of extreme importance in the spiritual realm. We should bear in mind that District Six - together with Bo-Kaap - influenced the history of our country profoundly. When it was a slum area before the Group Areas relocation of the apartheid era, there were many churches. Now the vast majority of new inhabitants are Muslims. District Six is becoming a second Bo-Kaap.  We believe that this must be addressed through prayer. 19 August 2015 Dear Brother Stadler, Brethren/sisters, I would hereby like to request the use of the Moravian Hill Church on Saturday afternoon to start and/or conclude a prayer walk in District Six. We hope that between 20-30 people would attend this event. Yours in His service, Ashley D.I. Cloete P.S. My apologies for this late request. It is only as an afterthought that - with our windy conditions, and it still being winter - we thought that it would also be good to have access to the church building and ablution facilities. We will be praying especially for a Christian presence to be restored as it has been before Group Areas involvement and that the Cape might impact our country again as it did in the past. Regards, Ashley Dear Rev. Cloete,   Could you please inform us soonest what the prayer walk in District Six is about?   Regards.     Sidney In my reply of 21 August, I had no suspicion of the shattering news the same day after some telephonic prodding: We will be praying especially for a Christian presence to be restored as it has been before Group Areas involvement and that the Cape might impact our country again as it did in the past. Regards, Ashley Dear Rev. Cloete,   In view of relationship that the Moravian Church in South has with other religious groups in South Africa, and in view of the public nature of your prayer walk in District Six for the purposes as contained in your e-mail below, your request for use of the Moravian Hill Chapel was declined.   Regards. Sidney Really shattered by this response, I still hoped that my track record could assist. I copied in influential persons to whom Mr Stadler had sent his reply, two of whom had been student colleagues and one I had taught during a brief stint of quest lecturing there in the 1990s. I wrote in desperation: Thanks for your response. In the light of our fight against the apartheid government, I am very grieved by this. Do I have to understand that the Moravian Church thus agrees with the Islamic agenda to make District Six into a second Bo-Kaap as the apartheid government did, i.e. to make a predominant Christian area into a Muslim stronghold? I copy in those mentioned in your email and add to this Bishop Augustine Joemath. Blessings, Ashley D.I Cloete P.S. I pray that the church Board of the Moravian Church will rectify this response. That nobody responded grieved me even more. Hi Amanda (and Esau), Esau shared with me two weeks ago how the Lord share with me that the Lord has put Devil's Peak on his heart for some time. Could you please forward this email to him. Below I also pasted how I have been recording the process. cc Barry, Murray and Baruch: Perhaps we could put this on the prayer agenda again tomorrow morning again, especially since we would be in the Provincial parliament again. Baruch and Karen, would this also something to pray about tomorrow evening. This is after all a matter that influences the spiritual climate of our city. Barry, when would be the next meeting of the Religious Forum? It would be good if intercessors know this to pray for you on the day it would be brought into the meeting. The unofficial Renaming of Devil’s Peak Possibly because of his own background in drug addiction, Pastor Richard Mitchell had an antenne for spiritual warfare on the heights of the city. The unofficial renaming of ‘Devil’s Peak’ to ‘Disciple's Peak’ - was initiated by Pastor Klopper of the Vredehoek Apostolic Faith Mission Church in 1994. Regular prayer events at Rhodes Memorial by Pastor Richard Mitchell and a group of intercessors fitted into the pattern of spiritual warfare. At the former occasion a big cross was planted on the summit, over-looking the city. These venues had been strongholds of Satanists. The mass march to Parliament on 2 September 1998 was followed by a big prayer rally on September 26, 1998 when thousands of Christians prayed over Table Mountain in an effort to rename the adjacent reviled peak ‘God’s Mountain.’ The event inspired a new initiative, whereby a few believers from diverse backgrounds started to come together at 6.a.m. for prayer on Signal Hill on Saturdays every two weeks.2 Pastor Richard Mitchell and his wife Elizabeth were instrumental in the resumption of these meetings on Signal Hill. When the ‘door’ opened for a regular testimony programme on Friday evenings on Radio CCFM, Richard Mitchell was a natural choice as presenter. The programme ‘God Changes Lives’ was also used to advertise citywide prayer events such as those at the Lighthouse, an important part of the run-up to the big Newlands events. In due course I also produced a programme for the midday devotions every Tuesday with a link to Islam. The Resumption of the Possible Renaming of Devil's Peak The resumption of the possible renaming of Devil's Peak started towards the end of 2010 when a 'prayer and praise bash' for young people was contemplated for the end of the year. In an email I encouraged believers to pray for a) The Unity of the Body of Christ b) For breakthroughs in Sea Point and Bo-Kaap, who of course are the respective focal residential areas of Judaism and Islam in the Western Cape respectively.   Reminding them that we have been praying for many years from Signal Hill for these goals, I proceeded as follows: We have been believing all along that a significant number of new followers of the Lamb and house fellowships in these suburbs would make a big impact on the nation as a whole. We deem simultaneously the lack of Unity of the Body of Christ to have been the arch enemy's prime tool to hamper this move. At the beginning of 2010 I emailed Alderman Dan Plato, the mayor of Cape Town at the time, in a renewed effort to get negotiations going to Devil's Peak changed. With local elections scheduled I was rather wary for the matter not to become a political ball once again. The office of the mayor referred us to the Province under which Devil's Peak resorts. A certain Ms van der Merwe was my contact person. She reminded me of their meeting of June 3, 2010 if we wanted the matter on the agenda. I replied as follows: On election day our little group, i.e. Pastor Barry Isaacs, Advocate Murray and myself deliberated again. Regarding the way forward on our part, Pastor Barry Isaacs will be taking our request to the executive of the Religious Forum for input from that side as well. (He is also a member of the Forum). Thereafter we will be approaching representatives of the municipal wards of Devil's Peak and Vredehoek, perhaps even those of Walmer Estate and District Six as well. It is highly improbable that we will present our application in time for your meeting of 3 June. There is one little hitch. We are no special NPO or group. All of us are engaged in this matter in a private capacity as concerned citizens of Cape Town. As such we never made minutes as such. We could however furnish a report of our deliberations up to this point in time. Would this circumstance influence matters? We prefer to keep matters low-key, to prevent the issue becoming embroiled in politics. If you could advise us for the best way forward in this matter, we would be grateful. A Bull's Eye in Prayer Warfare Prayer warfare at Rhodes Memorial seemed to be a proverbial ‘Bulls Eya more than merely a pawn in the spiritual chess game. It was clear to us that President Zuma was a 21st century repeat of the corrupt Cape governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Only much later we discerned the emulation via his distasteful building of the palace-like Nkandla with state funds, similar to how Willem Adriaan van der Stel acquired Vergelegen in the 18th century. Our battle had as target the corruption that was associated with the Zuma administration. Advocate Murray Bridgman had been sharing how Devil’s Peak was said to have received its name. (Murray Bridgman had been putting some persevering stalwart work into that process. Earlier names of the mountain peak towering above the city, Windberg (Wind Mountain) or Duivenkop (Doves' Peak), became corrupted to Duivelskop ) We decided subsequently that we would use ‘word of mouth’ as our new strategy to achieve our goal of the name change. Praying for Rain and Land Expropriation Linked In mid-January 2018 Ps Angus Buchan sent out a WhatsApp call for another 'It’s time occasion' like the massive one in Bloemfontein of 22 April 2017. Buchan selected the venue of Mitchell's Plain after reading the testimony of Ashley Potts, the director of the Cape Drug Centre, in a Scripture Union booklet. In Bloemfontein Angus Buchan mentioned the penetration of Parliament as a venue where the prayer movement would go ‘Black Friday,’ the day after the annual day of thanksgiving in the USA, also found its way to South Africa. 24 November 2017 was a day to remember, so much so that I dubbed it ‘White Friday’. Around two hundred and fifty church and prayer leaders from all over the country had been invited to an event, with Pastor Angus Buchan as the special speaker in the old chamber of Parliament where Dr Verwoerd had been stabbed in 1966, an event was thus filled with nostalgic dynamite! Fighting for the Retention of the Home Affairs Office in Maitland Although we are saddened that we are obstructed by your instruction to serve the foreigners coming to the Maitland Office after we had fought quite hard in 2010 - in consultation with Richard Sikakane - when the eviction looked on the cards. P,S. I would like to point out that we as Friends from Abroad have been involved with discussions with the Western Cape Home Affairs offices since 2007 to fight corruption and xenophobia. Yet, we were not invited to the stakeholders meeting of 2011 that you referred to nor did not receive any minutes of that meeting. Dear Mr Mathebula, Referring to our interaction on Tuesday, I am thankful for clarity, albeit that it also increased our concern. We understand that the Cape Town office is a temporary facility where people whose files are not in Cape Town, are given extensions for only one month. In our view, it should suffice if the message is disseminated to all and sundry that no new applications are being served here in Cape Town. In this way you would be able to deal with the back log in a much more compassionate way. As Friends from Abroad we want to stress our deep concern that the practise of giving extensions for one month only is causing dire problems to the poor and needy unnecessarily. A few years ago we have been fighting with other Cape stakeholders for people to get extensions for six months. The government finally agreed to this. Giving an extension for one month only is causing stress, discomfort and expense to the people we should be served at the foreshore premises. It furthermore gives your employers a lot of extra work. We also note that corruption is taking off again at your offices. Corruption would surely be reduced if you bring down the numbers to be attended to, and the service to them could be improved. Upon my query why a mother with children is required to take her off-spring along to another office far away, you replied that this is official policy which you have to implement. This is the reason for me now to take it up higher. I dare to suggest a change of policy as a matter of urgency, by getting the files from other offices of those asylum seekers to your offices who reside here. It is rather uncompassionate to punish those who do not have the funds to go to the office far away, to come for an extension month by month (To require of poor people with barely means of subsistence to go to Durban or Johannesburg - with their children - is in fact rather inhumane). Furthermore, implementing the following measures, which had been practiced in the past, but which have been inexplicably discarded, could even improve conditions on the short term: a) Requiring all security agents to wear name tags at all times, so that they can be named and shamed in case of corruption. (Many of them don't sport the lanyard with their names and photo) b) Having different queue lines again for the various needs - as we used to have in Maitland. I am copying Mr Yusuf Simons in on this email, as well as someone who has a contact in head office. We hereby courteously request government to consider urgently a change of policy where necessary, which would render better services to the poor and needy, of which the refugee community form a big portion. As a former exile who lived abroad for 20 years because of an uncompassionate regime, I pray that this email will get urgent attention, which will result in loving and hospitable service to our asylum seeking refugees. Yours patriotically, Ashley D.I. Cloete Dear Mr Mathebula, I have just spoken to Mr Yusuf Simons. It was so good to hear from him that your office has been assisting individuals on merit on compassionate grounds, getting their files from another office. We have been assisting the following two ladies - both of them have been here in Cape town already for a few years - in a little bead work workshop on two days per week to get some bread on the table for the family, Ms Hawa NTIRWAKUNZE (BR 002630) and Nahayo Zabibu (DBN 000220909) In an earlier email (27 February) I advocated on behalf of Ms Hawa NTIRWAKUNZE. May I trust that her files have been requested or even at your office already? If not, could you please instruct one of your officials to get the files respectively from Braamfontein and Durban. Thanking you in advance for your co-operation and for your positive response, March 13, 2013 Good day Kindly be informed that only in cases of ill-health and when the principal applicants and family are in Cape Town, however in both cases, the clients' Ref numbers do not exist. Kind Regards, N E Mathebula I found out hereafter that some mistake had been made by one of the officials, with the result that Ms Hawa Ntirwakunze was given a Durban number, although she had never been there. Armed with copies of both ladies, I phoned Mr Mathebula on Tuesday 27 March, making an appointment for 10 a.m. the next day. I had written the following email the previous week: Email 22 March Thank you Mr Mathebula for your prompt response. I have investigated the file numbers of the ladies.  Ms Ntirwakunze has given me two copies of Section 24 (3) paper that states that she has been captured in Durban. According to her that is not correct. She has never been in Durban. On these documents - printed in Cape Town on 25.11 2012 and 28.02. 2013 - the respective Appointment force numbers are 53363078 and 21924732. Ms Minani JAEN Claude  has two appointment force numbers captured respectively in Durban (21/09/2009) and Cape Town (28/02/2013) 22302344 and 19098120 I also will be giving them a letter from Friends from Abroad to take along when they come again. Both of them are sickly (Ms Ntirwakunze has been brutally attacked a few months ago and Ms Minani JAEN Claude is a diabetic). both have children which make travel to a distant |Refugee Centre a major finacial challenge I will encourage them to bring along some medical documentation in support. May I appeal for compassion and clemency for both clients once again? I also intend coming in personally in the next few days with the copies of the papers I now have in my possession, while I advocate on their behalf. Regards, Patriotically yours Ashley D.I. Cloete When I arrived at the Home Affairs offices to see Mr Mathebula, there were about 10 people who were also waiting while he was in a meeting. More people came subsequently so that we were about 20 people when he arrived at about 11.30 a.m. Rather curtly he announced that he was not going to speak to clients. They had to go to the ground floor. I stood my ground as I regarded myself as a stakeholder, although I was of course advocating for two clients and because I had made the appontment to see him. Without asking who was first of those waiting, he took two ladies at the front with him. After waiting for quite a while, a stake holder colleague then just went to his office. After a minute or two she returned with the news that Mr Mathebula had another meeting. I decided to go to the ground floor and just be a client too. After being witness to the daily abuse that clients were exposed to, I intervened, stating my case. However, it was all of no avail. Rather concerned by the latest ruling from Pretoria, I went to see the folk from the Scalabrini Centre, a Roman Catholic institution that has been in the forefront of advocacy for refugees. We decided that I should find out whether it is official that no more transfers are to be done. I wrote the following email on March 29: Hi Yusuf, As I tried to follow up the two ladies in our workshop who had to go to the Foreshore offices every month because they have no money to go to JHB and Durban respectively, I heard that the minister decreed that no more transfers are to be done.  Does this mean that compassion is no more being shown to people who medically are also in dire straights?  Is this official? Is there really no ways of getting a change of heart in Home Affairs to show compassion and give dignity to our people. I make haste to remind that I enjoyed some difficulties in Germany and Holland during my lengthy exile in the apartheid era, but not once from the officials of the respective Home Affairs. Regards This had a positive effect. People who could show proof of a medical condition, e.g. a hospital card, were served at the offices in Cape Town. Jan Cronje, Cape Times   Hi Jan, How are you doing, Jan ?   On second thoughts I want to spare you a long story. I will demote the Barrack street events this week to a P.S., as it is not so urgent any more. Perhaps you can read that later to get some idea of how some people are treated there. I would have preferred to share personally to give you some idea of what is happening at Home Affairs, both at Barrack Street and Customs House. as we agreed on the phone, I will try to jot down what has happened there this week. I really hope that something could be published in due course which would help the foreigners who really deserve better treatment than what they are getting from inept officials.  Before I start sharing, you should know that I don't relish bringing the mess into the open. I have been trying many times to get Yusuf Simons to do something. I really feel for the people who are suffering because of the inefficiency of the folk working in the DHA offices.  But he has not been responding positively in recent weeks. I am now also writing to the minister. Practices at the Customs House Premises We are thankful that the long queues seem to be a thing of the past for the moment. We trust that the corruption there will have received a 'fatal' (?) blow simultaneously. I am also grateful to report that the asylum seeker who was threatened with arrest last month, received an extension this week - without a threat this time. As usual, it was only for one month. She has a problem though to get her children into a school because of a mistake made by a Home Affairs official. She had previously been given an extension for a year - in stead of for one month. The paper was then sent to Pretoria for rectification but she did not get that paper back. In stead, she has now been repeatedly attacked verbally, although it had been the mistake of a Home Affairs official in the first place. Another client for whom I tried to advocate because of the refusal of DHA to bring the files to Cape Town, also has problems with the schooling of children because of the piecemeal one month extensions.   Trusting that you will be able to interview these ladies - and a few others - yourself and then write something soon which will result in positive moves in the DHA offices. Regards, Ashley  P.S. The Barrack Street events this week are quite straightforward but nevertheless horrifying.  I asked one of our missionary colleagues, who is married to a South African, to send me the details of her experiences with her request for temporary residence which I forwarded to Yusuf Simons last week:  This is what she wrote:   I, Rochelle Smetherham,  applied for permanent residency on May 3, 2012, having a valid temporary residency under volunteer and spousal.  They told me this could take up to 6 months to a year and it is now way over a year.   I applied for temporary residency extension October 24, 2012.  My temporary residency expired December 15, 2012 and they told me that would take six weeks from the date I applied October 24.  It is now about 9 months from that time with no visa at all for 7 months now.  I have been married 7 years to a South African citizen and have been volunteering in South Africa for 10 years now through temporary residency spousal and volunteer permit. I travel out of the country August 9 and will return August 24th with my South African husband. In 3 weeks from today with no visa just some papers from Home Affairs with stamps which other countries immigration official do not understand the slow system of Home Affairs and having no visa; I will leave the country on shaky ground because of the delay of Home Affairs and no official stamp they will give me in my passport.   My husband has been calling home affairs for many months now several times a month and they often say it is escalated (the residency application). He wastes lots of time to do this at work cause there are no other hours.   They said the permanent residency is being reviewed now in the main office but we heard nothing since.  They said the system has been down 3 weeks which is weird and should not happen in this day and age.  I went about 8 times to check in at Cape Town home affairs, which takes hours and Doug has to get off work which he should not do.  Many times there is no word but twice they lost a copy of my passport for the temporary residency application.  How ?  I don't know how this is possible. I often wait hours each time I go.  You plan to go most of the day and there seems no real system now; there used to be numbers but maybe that changed since the system was "down".  I have acted patiently but it is at the point of there is no reason they should withhold a temporary extension permit this long or not be fully processed as well the permanent residency.   Thank you for your time in processing this and investigating and remedying the delays. I got no reply to my email, so I resent it this week, again without a reply.  After a telephonic call to Pretoria last week Rochelle was told that her temporary residency permit has been approved but she must get it at the office where she lodged her application.  When Rochelle told me she would go to Barrack Street for the 8th time yesterday, we had great hope that she would get the paper at last. I said she should inform me if she didn't get the temporary residency permit.   This she did, after which I asked her to stay there. I joined her after my own meeting and took her on arrival there straight to the office of Yusuf Simons. I had tried to phone him on his cell but there was no response. (On Tuesday I also left a message which he didn't reciprocate). (Friday resumption of writing) The PA of Yusuf Simons, Ms Deseree Brinkhuis, looked at the papers and checked on the system, where it stated that her temporary residency permit has already been approved in October 2012 in Pretoria.  She still had a faint hope that Ms Brinkhuis could get the paper for her to be able to travel with a document. I didn't hear anything yesterday. I fear that she had to leave early this morning with the paper. One asks why the officials in Barrack Street behave in the way they do. Possibly a bribe would do the trick, but as a committed Christian our colleague would never oblige. Thus she rather has to continue with these humiliating visits to the Barrack Street premises. Friends from Abroad/All Nations International Tel  +27(0)738175888 (Ashley) (0)847690048 (Rosemarie) Ms Naledi Pandor The Honourable Minister of Home Affairs! Dear Ms Pandor, May I briefly introduce myself. I lead the NPO Friends from Abroad (FFA) that has as its prime philosophy the blessing and equipping of  foreigners who are here in South Africa. Our NPO was started because of my personal experience of wonderful hospitality during my exile of almost twenty years during the apartheid era. the cause was my marriage as a 'Coloured' South African to a German national. The philosophy of FFA is of course in line with the advice and repeated reminder of our revered Madiba, to treat foreigners well because some of us had been treated hospitably in other countries. With great joy and thankfulness we took note of the DHA decision to give 6 months extension to asylum seekers. This alleviated the congestion at the Cape Town refugee office considerably, dealing a massive blow to the corruption there simultaneously.  May I assume that you are aware of at least some hardship caused to those asylum seekers whose files are in other centres? Writing on Women's Day, I think especially of those women who cannot afford to travel great distances with their children every few months, e.g. from Cape Town to Johannesburg, Durban or Musina.  May I humbly request you to rescind the earlier decision in this regard and to order the resumption of the transferral of files? Praying for a favourable and compassionate consideration of this request, Regards, Ashley Cloete Geagte Mw Francis, Mag ek myself eers gou voorstel. Ek is 'n voormalige 'Mixed marriages exile' wat in Duitsland en Nederland baie gasvryheid en guns geniet het, nie net van die gewone mense nie, maar ook van die respektiewelike regerings daar. Dit het my aangespoor na my terugkeer met my gesin in 1992 om ook 'n sëen te wees vir mense uit ander lande wat Suid-Afrika toe gekom het. Die filosofie vanFriends from Abroad wat ons in 2007 gestig het was juis om buitelanders hier te help en om hulle toe te rus om vir hulle eie mense 'n bron van steun te wees, hier in Suid-Afrika en vir sommige wat weer na hul tuislande sou terugkeer. Maandelang het ek namens Friends from Abroad verskillende pogings aangewend om die vlugtelinge afdeling van die Department Binnelandse Sake te versoek om die lêers van twee vroue met kinders wat elders hulle eerste registrasie as vlugtelinge gehad het, na Kaapstad te laat oorplaas. Van hulle was verwag om na Durban en Johannesburg respektiewelik te gaan vir die verlenging van hulle permitte. Anders het hulle telkens verlenging vir slegs een maand gekry. En nou is selfs dit gestaak. Hulle moet die verlenging in Durban respektiewelik Johannesburg te gaan kry.  Al ons pogings was dus sonder sukses. Inteendeel, met 'n groot mate van verontwaardiging en skaamte vir die xenofobiese gedrag en houding van die amptenare van die Departement van Binnelandse Sake, wend ek my nou tot u. Die jongste brief van 9 Augustus - namens 'n paar ander organisasies wat ook met vlugtelinge hier in die Kaap werk, het tot dusver slegs 'n 'geniet aandag" en niks verder geoes nie. Ek plak hieronder die vorige korrespondensie om u 'n idee te gee wat ons oor die afgelope maande probeer doen het. Ek dank u by voorbaat vir u ernstige oorweging om die saak onder die aandag van die brëere publiek te bring. Dienswillig die Uwe, (Eerw) ADI Cloete Geagte Mw Francis, In die lig van die 16-dae van aandag vir geweld teen vroue en kinders, neem ek die vrymoedigheid om die aandag te vestig op die lot van buitelandse (vlugteling-tipe) vroue wat deur ons Departement van Binnelandse Sake baie sleg behandel word. Bowendien is daar weer 'n hernude poging van die regering om die kantoor vir vlugtelinge hier in Kaapstad te sluit.  (More-oggend is daar 'n vergadering hier in die kantoor van die Departement van Binnelandse Sake waar hulle 'stakeholders' van die voorneme gaan verwittig.) Ek het die onderstaande epos verlede week na die kantoor van die Minister gestuur maar nog nie 'n antwoord ontvang nie. Ek voeg sommer ook my vorige epos by waarin u 'n vollediger prentjie van die probleem behoort te kry. Patrioties die uwe, Ashley D.I. Cloete  My email of October 29 refers. Below I paste my original email again regarding transfer of files.   The two mothers with children for whom I had been advocating for months have been suffering emotionally and even physically because of the worries caused by the treatment at Department of Home Affairs offices.  I believe that a positive outcome of this request would help many other foreign nationals who are in the same boat. The one family that was required to get her Section 22 extension in Johannesburg was blessed when other Burundians clubbed together to buy tickets for her and her children to go to Pretoria where she got the extension for six months. Will she find her compatriots willing to do the same in six months again? The other family is now illegal because she has been refused an extension at your office here in Cape Town.  She has to get her extension in Durban (or also in Pretoria?) As leader of Friends from Abroad I would like to request you again to look into the matter, i.e. could you please ask the minister to intervene and order the resumption of the transfer of files for people like these who have been living here in the Cape already for many years.  Pleading for a compassionate reply to this email,  Patriotically yours, (Rev.) Ashley D.I Cloete Dear Mr Mathebula   Kindly see email request of the client below.   Due to unforeseen circumstances the client request for their file to be transferred from the Durban office to Cape Town office.   As per Ms my conversation with Ms Naleene Balgobind this morning she mentioned that the correct and relevant person to provide the right information will be you sir.   Your assistance is highly appreciated. It was however no plain sailing. On Thursday 4 December I wrote the following email: Dear Mr Mathebula, Good morning I just wanted to brief you on the (lack of) progress in the transfer of Ms. Nahayo (DBN 000220909) to the Cape Town office. When she was it your office last week to get the transfer and extension, a violent situation erupted there after abuse by the DHO officials so that the police had to be called in. She became so upset by the situation that she ran away. I will come with her tomorrow, trusting that this can be finally sorted out. Yours faithfully, Ashley D.I. Cloete On March 3 2015 I received an email from Dr Fatima Khan, the Director of the UCT Law Clinic which filled me with great joy: Dear Colleagues/ Stakeholders   On 27 February 2015 the Western Cape High Court handed down Judgement in the Case of Abdulaahi and Others / The Director General of Home Affairs and Others Case 7705/2013. The case concerned peoples whose permits were initially issued at offices outside of Cape Town but have moved to and live in Cape Town. The court found that all the applicants 1123 people should have their permits extended in Cape Town for periods of no less than 6 months at a time. These extensions are to continue until their asylum claims are finalised or until any and all litigation in relation to the closure of the Cape Town Office is concluded.  The Judge mentioned that while she would not make a ruling on the transfer of files she strongly recommends that the Department of Home Affairs reconsiders its position and transfers files.   Asylum seekers whose permits were initially from offices outside of Cape Town should accordingly be able to extend in their permits in Cape Town. While the Order relates to 1123 people there should be no reason why other individuals in the same situation should and will not be extended in Cape Town. Hence asylum seekers should approach the Home Affairs Cape Town Refugee Office from Wednesday 4 March onwards and we trust that they will receive extensions. In event of any queries please contact the UCT Refugee Rights Clinic (0216505581 / 0216505493 or email james.chapman@uct.ac.za.   Kind regards   Fatima Khan I had no hesitation to write the following lines: Thanks Fatima for your faithful persistent input on behalf of the asylum seekers. Ashley My joy was however very short-lived. On Tuesday 17 March my wife called me back as I was about to leave the premises where the refugee-background ladies are working. I had to hear that Ms. Ms. Nahayo Zabibu has been sent away from the Foreshore premises. 27 March 2015 Good Day Mr Mathebula, May we trust that the file of my client, 024541/13,Zabibu, Nahayo (:DBN 000220909), whose file was  to be transferred on medical  grounds last year in November (see email below) is here in Cape Town? My client was recently turned away at the gate by security personnel. I hereby request her to come again on Monday (30 March 2015). I give to her a copy of this email. Thank you in advance for your co-operation, Ashley D. I. Cloete  (Director, Friends from Abroad) 22 November 2015 Good Day Mr Mathebula, Greetings! I am thankful that Ms. Nahayo Zabibu’s file was finally transferred from Durban. However, my client from Burundi had to come back month after month subsequently to ‘come and get the result’ of her asylum application. I take liberty to report to you what happened in recent weeks. With sadness I listened to the saga of my client via a translator. Ms. Nahayo Zabibu’s most recent valid permit expired on 30 October. She was asked to come back on 3 November. On that day one of the DHO officials took her paper, telling her to come back the next day. On the 4th she was told that her file could not be found. On the 5th she was back there. With the aid of the photo copy of her permit the official came back with the file. The official that would now ‘serve’ her, however then phoned Xhosa friends and whatsapped variously instead. Ultimately he told my client to return on Monday the 9th. The photo copy of her permit was not returned to her so that she had to go to the Cape Town Refugee Centre to get another copy. Arriving early in the morning on the 9th November, she had to wait in vain until the afternoon. At 16h the security guard informed all the waiting people that they had to go home because all the DHO officials had left. On Friday 13 November my client went back, when she had to sit there till 12.30 - without speaking at all to any official. Other refugees complained about the same treatment. However, the same thing happened on the 15th. I will give my client a copy of this email, trusting that she will be duly served, instructing her to call me if nobody takes her paper as the previous times. Furthermore, may I request you to implement the needed steps, so that this inhumane and uncompassionate treatment of our guests from other African countries will cease. Yours patriotically, Ashley D.I Cloete 1 December 2015 CC  Mr Yusuf Simons Good Day Mr Mathebula, Just a brief note to inform you that the matter with my client has still not been resolved. I had a rather torrid day on Friday, running from one meeting to the next. My client tried to reach me when my phone was on silent. I noticed her missed call only after she had already left the DHO offices for a while. The same thing happened to her as at previous times, waiting for a long time and then finally requested to come next Thursday yet again.  I hope to accompany her this time. Yours patriotically, Ashley D.I. Cloete   P.S. Mr Yusuf Simons knows that I have been playing matters low-key over the years. If matters to not improve I will have no option but to divulge this correspondence to the press.  Ashley D.I. Cloete Tel. 021 4613745/ 0738175888 2 December 2015 Good Morning Mss Simons and Methebula, Sadly I have to report an addendum, a sequel to the saga. My client was not only not attended to, but my letter and that of the law clinic was just taken and thrown away disdainly.  I do hope that she can point out which worker treated her like this and the others of previous occasions as well. As a South African who was treated hospitably during my years in exile, I am so ashamed. Yours patriotically, Ashley Hi Mr Mackay, Perhaps somewhat out of the blue,Greetings - after having some second thoughts   My having 'second thoughts' regarding a submission on behalf of Friends from Abroad has very much been influenced by the passing on of our revered Madiba. Initially, I did not deem it worthwhile to send a submission on behalf of Friends from Abroad regarding the resumption of a full Cape Town service for asylum seekers, because I thought that the government had already made up its mind, and that nothing was going to change that.    I have to concede that I also had a great deal of hesitancy regarding attending the meeting last week. The fact that Jackie McKay was due to attend, helped to clinch the matter for me. I was not disappointed. I gladly repeat here my appreciation of the way you chaired the meeting last Thursday. I was so encouraged by your attitude.   You probably recall that I reminded those present in an oral submission last Thursday - as a former exile and recipient of the new dispensation that enabled me and my family to return to our beautiful country after spending almost 20 years abroad - of the teaching and heritage of Madiba. I had of course no idea that he would pass away the same evening.  You may remember that I highlighted that Madiba repeated how many times that because many of us were treated well when we were in exile, we should also treat foreigners who had been coming to our shores with love and dignity.    In this spirit, I attach the submission of Friends from Abroads on second thoughts, challenging the government to do the same regarding the resumption of a full Cape Town service for asylum seekers and perhaps even at a few additional Home Affairs offices.   Wishing you a blessed Christmas and holiday time,   Yours patriotically, Ashley D.I Cloete Hi Evariste, Your suggestion is good to put something on paper. Here is my contribution. You and Marcel and whosoever can expand on this and others might like to contribute as well. NEHEMIAH 2:17-18: “ Then I said to them, You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in  ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come , let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be a disgrace. I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding”   Someone has sent the following to the Watchmen: ‘All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.’     ‘When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. ( Edmund Burke 18thCentury British Statesmen)   I suggest furthermore that a short paper be prepared – call it a memorandum if you like – to put to the President the following. Generally, we would like to see our country become a blessing to the nations. In order to achieve this, the church has to be prophetic, holding the government accountable, challenging our leaders to get in line with God’s Word. Concretely, someone could perhaps draw up a few guidelines where rectification is needed, about which we would like to speak to the President, urgent issues such as: 1.       Blessing Israel by playing a reconciling role in the Middle East conflict and not taking sides.  2.       Department of Home Affairs matters that affect the church, notably a) putting the sword of Democles over families that are to be deported to countries where their lives are endangered or where there are chaotic conditions, e.g. a Christian family from Pakistan and a family from Burundi. b) Missionaries that have to return to their home countries in spite of having a good track record.   This has been happening to families who have been  in south Africa for many years   Other issues with a Church-related tangent that could also be raised are: 3.       Giving high priority to the care of the poor and needy (the rumour is going around that our Finance Minister will have come with cuts on grants, pensions and the like.), greater investment in Education and Health, but also adding checks and balances to counter corruption. 4.       Changing laws which are politically correct, but contradicting the Word. 5.       Care for the foreigner in our midst, making better use of the skills that they have to offer. 6.       Good stewardship regarding ecology, e.g. a greater emphasis on solar and wind energy and consciously moving away from all energy which ruins nature 7.       Addressing the economic disparity and imbalance more vigorously, e.g. via a) ‘carrots’/ rewards for clear evidence  of job creation b) encouraging measures of restitution where improper enrichment and aggrandisement have taken place (cf. the example of Zacchaeus), Submission of Friends from Abroad The philosophy of the NPO Friends from Abroad that we established in 2007 to help foreigners here, is to be a (re)source of support in South Africa and to equip them to serve their own people both here and later when some of them would be returning to their home countries. In addition to our support of other organisations whose oral summaries of their submissions I have been privileged to listen to, I now give the main reason why we as Friends from Abroad hereby request government to reverse the decision to serve asylum seekers in Cape Town. In the spirit of the legacy of our revered former President Nelson Mandela to be loving and hospitable to all foreigners, our main argument is compassion for women and children especially. Friends from Abroad has variously requested the Department of Home Affairs to transfer the files of people who had been first registered as asylum seekers elsewhere to Cape Town. In this submission we propose serious consideration of serving such clients at a few additional Home Affairs offices of the Western Cape, i.e. not only in Cape Town. Need we have to stress that is rather uncompassionate to punish those who do not have the funds to go to an office far away? In fact, to require of poor people with barely means of subsistence to go to Durban, Johannesburg or Musina- with their children - is inhumane). Also we note with a great deal of indignation and shame that xenophobic behaviour and attitudes of some of the officials of the Department of the Interior have still been coming to our attention , not to mention the attempts of corruption still very recently. (Thanks to Mr Jackie Mackay it was discovered that a document that was dispatched from Pretoria weeks ago, was said ‘not to have arrived here in Cape Town.) Thank you in anticipation for your favourable consideration of this submission. (Rev.) Ashley D. I. Cloete (Chairperson of Friends for Abroad South African ID 4512315408088) I am concerned that I still miss a pertinently biblical position. The draft basically is still too much a call to step down, without calling the President clearly to repent and apologise publicly, taking responsibility for his actions and indicate willingness to practice restitution. Even though it is unlikely that he will do this in the light of his track record, we should give him that option to be pastorally sound. (We might even add a warning prophetically that he would have to reckon with God’s wrath if he fails to respond in the biblically required way.) The following lines from Pastor Costa’s email and Barry Isaac’s second draft are clearly pastoral and I would like to see them included: The leaders who make up our group come from a broad spectrum of South African society, in all its gender, cultural, ethnic and party-political diversity. We therefore have neither political nor racial motivations in what we would like to say to you, but a genuine desire to provide empathetic pastoral counsel to you and those who make up your inner circle in government at this critical time. We understand that you have been ordained as a pastor in a denomination and in the light of that, feel that we may be so bold as to address you as we would a fellow pastor who has, as The New Testament says: "been overtaken in a fault". Paul instructs, in situations like this, that "you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." …   Restoration is therefore the Biblical goal in situations like this, and that is our desire. However, restoration, especially when the person concerned is a leader, is not simply achieved by a "forgive and forget" approach, but by a process involving fully facing the fault, proper repentance, counselling, character correction and restitution. We would like, in the spirit of humility and God's love for you as a person, to try to help you in that process, if you would allow us to do so… We find ourselves unable to agree with the way you and your inner circle plan to go forward. We believe South Africa is not only facing a constitutional crisis, but a leadership crisis. To deal half-heartedly with a serious problem of this nature is irresponsible in the extreme, and is at the heart of why the majority of our people, civil society and the Church in particular, has lost confidence in your leadership, not to say your character. If a leader, pastor or any other office-bearer in one of our churches had revealed a similar character flaw, we would advise that she or he should step down at least until a process of restoration, as described above, could be completed… Shalom, Ashley P.S. 1. To address the linking of our government to sangomas and to Hamas is an issue which would perhaps not be a tenet that would get wide acclaim and support at this time. Yet these are actions which have been damaging our country in the spiritual realm big time. The fact of the matter is that the student protests soon after the meeting with Hamas leaders ushered in the slide of our economy. The delegation that goes to see the president – if he grants an audience – should address this. The group can dangle the carrot before the government that repentance on this score would incur divine blessing in line with Genesis 12:3.